A Valentine's Day To Remember
by bleedingxheart
Summary: It's Valentine's Day. All of Harry's friends have dates, and Harry is alone. Draco is determined to prove to his friends he does not need anyone in his life. But a confrontation between the pair in a corridor is about to change that. HPDM Slash.
1. The Valentine's Day Ball

A Valentine's Day To Remember

**Chapter One: The Valentine's Day Ball**

_February 14th_

It was early in the morning, but that didn't deter the masses of students who were already gathered in the Great Hall, eagerly awaiting the morning post. Usually, this consisted of nothing more than a package from the students' home, with a letter and perhaps a parcel of food. But the students had a perfectly logical reason to be in the Hall so early.

It was Valentine's Day.

There was a low hum of excitement sweeping through the Hall as students from all four houses (particularly the girls) whispered and giggled and gossiped, or sat in a state of complete fear, depending on their status.

The enchanted ceiling overhead was tainted a pure blue, casting the entire Hall in a kind of bright, pretty light. The walls were decorated with large, pastel pink hearts, and the 'cupids' tossed heart shaped confetti to the tables below. Yes, it was the same as every Valentine's Day in the history of Hogwarts.

An owl's loud screech pierced the hum, which was followed with a random Hufflepuff shrieking, "The post is here!"

Owls streamed in to the Hall, and the air became a cloud of feathers as they sought out their various recipients. The students called out excitedly, and laughed and cheered, or sat miserably in front of an empty place, having received no Valentines.

At the Gryffindor table, Hermione's face was glowing as one of the more handsome school owls arrived in front of her, and held out a leg in a rather self-important manner. Hermione detached the bright red envelope from its leg, and opened it. Inside was a matching card, which she opened as well.

At once, a shower of rose petals sprang from within the card, landing on her toast. She read the writing within out loud, in a voice that was slightly high-pitched with excitement.

"Dear Hermione, Happy Valentine's Day! I'm no good with poems, so I thought I should just write how I feel about you in plain and simple terms."

And here she paused, her brown eyes widening as she stared open-mouthed at the card.

"What?" Ginny urged her on excitedly, her voice also strangely high-pitched. "What does it say?"

"…I love you, Hermione." She finished with a whisper, lowering the card and turning to her right, where Ron was sitting, his cheeks nearly as red as the card in Hermione's hands.

"Do you really mean it, Ron?" she asked.

Ron rubbed the back of his neck, looking awkward. "Well…yeah, otherwise I wouldn't have written it. You know I'm no good at expressing my emotions, and I would've told you to your face, but I couldn't, but I really do…you know." He finished, staring hopelessly at her.

Her eyes were swimming with tears of joy as she looked at him. "Oh Ron." She gushed. "I love you too!"

With that, she leaned over and captured his mouth in a passionate kiss.

Neville, Dean and Seamus all gave a sarcastic 'Awwwwww'. Ginny did the same, only genuinely.

Harry smiled slightly, looking away from his best friends' very public display of affection. Ron had finally gotten up the courage at Christmas to ask Hermione out, and they'd been together since. He'd been trying for weeks to express to Hermione the depth and strength of what he felt, but had then decided to express it in Valentine's Day card format instead.

Harry was happy for them. Really, he was. They were perfect for each other.

It was just the simple fact that he _hated _Valentine's Day. With a passion. This point was proven at that moment when about 10 or 15 owls arrived in a cloud of feathers in front of him, all jostling, trying to be the first to deliver their respective packages.

With an irritated sigh, he began to detach the nearest owl's letter. Every year, every damn year, it was the same. His friends were always in relationships. Hell, Dean and Seamus would be celebrating their two-year anniversary in a few months time. Neville had been crushing on Luna for months and months, Ron and Hermione had always been tiptoeing around each other, and Ginny had a different boyfriend every few months. Her latest was Anthony Goldstein, a Ravenclaw. They'd been together since the previous October, and she seemed pretty happy with him.

Since the whole debacle with Cho the previous year, Harry had not had any romantic relations in any shape or form. Not because that wasn't available, no, that wasn't the problem at all.

Harry read through the first card, sighed, and then placed it aside. This was the problem. Every year, he got the same cards with the same proclamations of 'love.' But Harry knew perfectly well what all his admires felt for him – childish infatuation and idolisation, nothing more. Not 'love', like all the cards claimed.

Merlin, he _hated _the attention this day brought him, he _hated _the girls approaching him all day, he _hated _the stupid pressure to have someone to take to the fancy Valentine's ball that night, and he _hated most_ of all the fact that he didn't actually have anyone.

'_And most likely never will.' _Harry reminded himself, watching as Anthony snuck up behind Ginny and hand delivered a bouquet of blood-red roses, much to her delight.

He didn't mean to sound like such a stupid, 'why me' sort of person, but if any day brought out his cynical, bitter side, it was Valentine's Day.

He opened another card, and re-read yet another long letter from some random girl he'd never spoken to before in his life about how she knew they were meant to be.

Stupid, _stupid _Valentine's Day.

HPDM

Across the hall, Draco Malfoy was not faring much better than his rival.

He scowled at the confetti that had just been thrown onto his toast, and then glancing up, scowled at the 'cupid' responsible, who immediately fluttered to the other side of the Hall to avoid his wrath.

Slightly more mollified, Draco turned his attention to the goings on at the Slytherin table. There was not much to see. Beside him, Pansy was squealing over all the invitations and proposals she'd received from admirers. On the other side, Blaise was cooing over Theo, feeding him chocolate. Draco rolled his eyes in despair, and leaned over.

"For Merlin's sake," he hissed angrily, "could you two at least _try _and pretend you're Slytherins and not a pair of ridiculous little _second-year Hufflepuffs?_"

Rather than receiving the prompt, "Sorry, Draco" he was expecting, Blaise merely looked around and scoffed at him.

"Honestly, Dray," he drawled amusedly, using a nickname he knew Draco hated, "we all know you're just jealous because you don't have anyone to do this with. Look around you," and here he gestured around the Hall, "look at all the happy couples!"

More to humour him than anything, Draco looked around. Indeed, what Blaise said was true. Happy couples. Everywhere. So many, in fact, Draco could've sworn they had multiplied since the last time he'd looked around the Hall.

Draco turned back to Blaise, who was grinning at him. He raised a sardonic eyebrow. "So?" he questioned.

"_So,_" Blaise said, "don't you wish you were one of them?"

"Frankly, no." Draco said bluntly. "That would be one of my worst nightmares."

Pansy, overhearing them, joined the conversation. "Oh come now, Draco." She said dismissively. "We all know that if the next person who asked you out was attractive enough you'd bed them."

"I would not." Draco said primly. "I don't need that distraction in my life. I've had enough with pointless flings."

Pansy cackled. "Oh right, of course, I forgot, how silly of me. Your little vow of abstinence is basically a year old, now, isn't it? Naturally, you're not wishing you had someone to touch, and to touch you…"

"That's correct." Draco said.

Pansy snorted. "Sure, right. Let me see…" she scanned the crowds, and then gave a triumphant shout and pointed. "There! See that Ravenclaw over there?"

Draco followed her hand, spying a fifth-year Ravenclaw girl with long, messy black hair and grass-green eyes.

"If she asked, would you hook up with her?" Pansy asked.

Draco considered. She was very pretty, and her hair was extremely alluring, somehow…

He shook himself. "No." he declared firmly. "I'm perfectly content to fly solo, unlike the rest of you morons."

"Does that mean you still don't have a date to the ball tonight?" Theo asked him.

"I would think that should be obvious." He drawled back.

"Poor Draco." Smiled Pansy. "Everyone paired up, and him all on his lonesome."

"Quiet, Pansy." Draco said irritably. "I'll be fine, so stop patronizing me."

"Whatever you say, Draco dear." She sang, turning back to her stack of cards with a smirk.

Blaise likewise returned to feeding Nott chocolate, leaving Draco to go back to his previous activity, of scowling at everyone in the general vicinity.

Stupid Valentine's Day.

HPDM

That night, 7:00pm 

The Entrance Hall was completely and totally packed. Splashes of all different colours were spread out throughout the crowds, interrupted every now and then with someone wearing black robes.

Harry set off down the Grand Staircase, trailing after his friends. Directly in front of him were Ron and Hermione, Ron looking rather handsome in a (slightly shabby) set of navy blue dress robes, Hermione looking radiant in an elegant set of sky blue dress robes. Ahead of them was Seamus and Dean, wearing black and silvery grey dress robes respectively. Neville and Luna were next, Neville looking nervous in his forest green robes, Luna looking rather bizarre in a style of dress robes that reminded Harry of the Muggle 'hippie' movement. She looked happy, nonetheless. Ginny and Anthony led the way, Ginny wearing a shade of cream that accentuated her skin tone and flaming red hair nicely.

Harry himself was wearing simple black dress robes, with black pants and an emerald green vest over a long sleeved black shirt. Hermione had picked all this out for him the previous excursion to Hogsmeade, in preparation for tonight's event. He had run a hand through his hair for his hairstyle, and then went to meet everyone in the common room.

Harry wasn't really looking forward to the Ball. It was nice of Dumbledore and the staff to allow the students a Valentine's Day dance, but Harry couldn't help but wonder if he would enjoy himself more catching up on sleep or something in the dorms. He had no partner, no-one to dance with and thus faced the prospect of an evening alone.

As Harry and his friends were making their way down the stairs, Draco and his friends were in amongst the thick of the crowds below. Pansy was wearing a fairly revealing set of purple silk robes, Blaise and Nott were both wearing black, while Crabbe and Goyle were both wearing brown.

Draco wore elegant, expensive grey robes, with black pants and vest and grey long-sleeved top. His icy blonde hair was loose around his face, but stylishly so. He'd already been approached by at least 3 girls, and a few guys. He'd turned them down, determined to remain solo tonight and prove a point to his friends.

The doors swung open, and Dumbledore was revealed, wearing fuschia-pink robes.

"Welcome, students!" he called, beaming cheerfully at them. All the students immediately silenced, turning to listen to their headmaster. "Happy Valentine's Day to you all! Before you all come in, a few reminders. Anyone found in the grounds or in such establishments as the Astronomy Tower will face the consequent punishment. Dinner will be served straight away, and the Ball will end at midnight. So, you may come in, and remember, enjoy yourselves!"

The students all cheered as the doors opened wider, and they began pouring through into the Entrance Hall. The first Valentine's Day Ball had begun.

HPDM

_Four hours later (11:00pm)_

Harry absent-mindedly tapped his foot along to the beat. The Weird Sisters, who had been invited back to perform for the Ball, were belting out a tune with a particularly catchy beat. The dance floor was packed with students, dancing with either their friends or boyfriend, or girlfriend.

The butter beer that had been served with dinner had loosened everyone up even more, if that was even possible. Most inhibitions had virtually gone out the Great Hall's windows. Harry watched the students dance in vague amusement, before he spotted Ron and Hermione.

Hermione had pulled her hair loose, and was dancing rather extravagantly with Ron, but looking like she was having the time of her life doing so. As for Ron, well, he looked ecstatic. Harry smiled slightly, moving on until he had located all his friends. Neville was dancing with Luna, and Harry had to admit he'd never seen Neville look so happy. Ginny was taking a break on the side with Anthony, laughing and fanning herself. Dean and Seamus were dancing in a rather…well, provocative matter, right in the centre of the dance floor. No one was making a big deal out of it; in fact several same-sex couples were dancing together. Homosexuality just wasn't a big deal in the wizarding world.

Harry reflected now, again, that he hated Valentine's Day. It was all very well and good for the people with sweethearts or crushes or whatever, but what about the other people? The people who had no romantic interests, requited or not? What were they meant to do?

He'd been approached several times during the night, by both genders, and had turned every single one of them down, simply because he could see the clear star struck shine in their eyes when they looked at him. He didn't want any part of that.

The song ended, and the students stopped to cheer the band's performance. Another song started up, this one slow, melodic, romantic. At once, the students were segregated into pairs, rotating slowly on the dance floor. Harry watched for a few minutes before deciding he couldn't take this anymore. He didn't want to sit here and watch this.

He got up and exited the Great Hall, fending off several approaches from a few girls and a boy as he went.

HPDM

Draco sighed, leaning his head back on the wall. He'd left the Valentine's Ball after only three and a half hours. But who could blame him, really. The entire event had been completely mediocre, giving him nothing to do but watch the moronic fools all dancing with each other.

He'd retreated here, to this nice, comfy patch of ground in the third-floor corridor. He hadn't felt like going back to the empty common room, and the library would be closed down for the night by now. He'd taken off his restrictive robe and had it folded neatly beside him, and now sat, pondering.

'_I don't need someone in my life.' _He argued with himself. _'I'm perfectly fine by myself. I don't need someone to complete me, that's just bullshit.'_

His last relations, with anybody, had been in fifth-year, with Terry Boot. Yes, he swung both ways. He found both genders equally attractive, and had experimented with several guys, but Terry Boot had lasted the longest out of them. It had been a fling, just a casual thing, lasting only a few months before Terry had fallen hard for a girl in his year and gone straight.

It had just been a bit of fun, and since then Draco had lost the want to be with someone else. In between trying, and failing, to plan an adequate revenge on Potter for his father's imprisonment, schoolwork, more thinking about Potter, more schoolwork, and yet more thinking about Potter, that part of his life had just disappeared.

He heard footsteps, approaching his position from the left. He turned his head and eyed the figure approaching him sceptically.

They drew closer, and closer, until Draco was able to discern it was Harry Potter.

He sucked in a breath, realising for the first time that Potter wasn't actually wearing the robe part of his ensemble anymore. They'd made eye contact earlier, and Draco had done his usual greeting (obscene hand gesture), but Potter had had his robe on then.

Now, though, you could practically see the kind of body Potter had beneath those clothes, with long legs and broad shoulders…

Draco had to shake himself when he felt the stirrings of a familiar sensation, and realised he was staring at Potter, who was looking at him with a mixture of confusion and irritation. He plastered a sneer onto his face.

"Potter."

Harry narrowed his eyes at Malfoy, crossing his arms. "Malfoy."

"What are you doing here, Potty?" Draco sneered. "I would've thought you'd be down there, enjoying all the attention from all your little fans."

"On the contrary, _Malfoy,_" Harry spat back, "I hate that attention, and left the Ball to get away from it. Why are you here, then, anyway? From the rumours, I've heard you have your own little whorehouse running down in the Slytherin dorms. Why aren't you there, with all your moronic little brain-washed sluts?"

"You go too far, Potter." Malfoy said icily, getting to his feet and facing Potter now. "I don't know exactly where you've heard such things, but that is most certainly not the truth."

"No?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, you can't deny that you've gone through quite a string of lovers in your life."

"That is most certainly none of your business, Potter." Malfoy growled, clenching his fists.

"I wonder, does your father know anything of what his dear little son gets up to? I'd imagine not, if he's still locked up in Azkaban."

The words had barely even left his mouth when Harry found himself pinned against the nearest wall by a very, very angry Draco Malfoy.

"Say that again." Draco hissed, his face inches away from Harry's. "I dare you, Potter. Say it."

Potter quirked his eyebrow again, which only served to enrage Draco further. Sarcastic eyebrow raising was his way of being sexy, dammit!

Wait. Potter? Sexy?

Draco shook his head to clear it and tried to focus back on what was happening.

"Why would I?" Harry breathed, eyes locked with Draco's. "If I said anything like that again, you'd hex me. Why would I want that?"

Draco noticed for the first time exactly how close they were standing, indeed, the position they were standing in – Draco's hands on Potter's shoulders, their bodies mere inches away from each other. He was startled as he realised exactly how brilliantly green Potter's eyes were, and he identified Potter's scent, which was so clear at this distance, kind of musky, yet kind of sweet, at the same time…

Harry blinked in confusion at Malfoy, who was staring at him as though he'd never seen him before.

"Malfoy?" he questioned, albeit slightly cautiously. "I said, why would I want that?"

Draco tried to shake himself out of it, but it was getting harder to do so, with the proximity, and those eyes, and that mouth, so close to his own.

It was insane. It was completely against all his values and morals and rational thinking, and he felt slightly detached from himself as he was standing there, staring at Potter, and Potter was staring back, and his brain felt like it had completely frozen…

"Malfoy, what the hell are you doing? Let go of me!" Harry protested now, trying to squirm away.

It was this that sealed it for Draco. _'You don't need anyone, especially Potter!' _protested his brain, but he was way past caring, and he leaned forward and took Potter's mouth in a kiss.

Harry's eyes widened in his surprise when Malfoy kissed him. It was completely unexpected, one moment they had been arguing and now they were _kissing? _What was the world coming to?

Harry tried to squirm away from Malfoy, but his shoulders were pinned firmly against the wall. Plus there was the fact that Malfoy had turned out to be an extremely good kisser; so good that Harry was beginning to forget why he was protesting the occurrence in the first place…

'_No!' _the last rational thinking part of his brain exclaimed. _'Push him away!'_

And he was about to, honestly, except that then Malfoy moved so that his entire body was pressed against Harry's up against the wall, and this new friction was absolutely exquisite, and Harry's last lingering thread of self-control snapped in two, and then he was kissing back.

Draco grinned briefly against Potter's mouth, feeling the other beginning to respond. He'd forgotten, until now, how nice it was to have a willing and able partner with whom to do this. He felt, vaguely, his own arousal increasing the longer he kissed Harry, and distantly questioned why something as simple as kissing was having this effect on him.

Harry's hands went up of their own accord and slid into Malfoy's silky hair, playing with it absently as they kissed. Malfoy surprised him by doing likewise to his own unruly hair, his slender hands tangling in the dark locks, gripping tighter as the kissing got more passionate.

Harry moaned a little, causing Draco to moan, and they were in deep now, there was no return for either boy from this point. Draco broke the kiss to turn his attentions to the stretch of tanned skin at Potter's throat. He licked, kissed and nibbled here, feeling Harry's whimpers of pleasure going straight to his groin.

"Ah…Malfoy…" Harry moaned, gasping when Draco nibbled a little harder at the spot just at the base of his throat.

He felt Draco's hand untucking his shirt from his pants, and then all of a sudden that cool hand was resting on his skin, and this was the jolt that sent Harry crashing back to reality.

He moved his hands from Draco's hair to his chest, and pushed hard, causing Draco to cease his administrations on Harry's neck and stumble backwards. Draco's silvery eyes were still hazy with lust as he stared at Harry, causing Harry to shiver slightly under the piercing gaze.

"What…what the hell was that, Malfoy?" Harry gasped, wiping his mouth.

Draco tried hard to regain control of his breathing, but struggled with it. That had undoubtedly been the best kiss he'd ever experienced, and he'd had it with…

…_Potter._

This fact slowly sunk in, until it was ringing loud and clear in his ears and his eyes were clearing, widening in horror at what had just happened.

"I think you and I just made out, Potter." He replied as smoothly as he could, but the slight shake in his voice was a giveaway.

Harry's bright green eyes were as wide as saucers as he stared open-mouthed with horror right back at Malfoy.

"Oh my god…" he breathed, closing his eyes briefly. "Tell me I imagined it. That I dreamt it."

"I don't think so, Potter." Draco corrected. "We both know it actually happened." He glanced downwards, and smirked. "And it looks like you enjoyed it, too."

"The hell I did!" Harry exclaimed. "You're the one who kissed me, Malfoy! What the fuck were you thinking? And don't even try to make out like I enjoyed it, when you're the one with a bloody tent in your pants!"

Draco flushed, as his brain started to truly freak out now. _'You just kissed Potter. Potter. On Valentine's Day. Potter. And you enjoyed it.'_

"Shut up, Potter." He snarled instead. "It was in the heat of the moment, and it will never happen again, and if you ever tell anyone what happened here, I'll hex you until you can't even move."

"Ha!" Harry yelled. "As if I would tell anyone about that disgusting moment! Eurgh, I still can't believe you actually…"

"Drop it." Draco snapped. "It never happened." _'And I certainly did not enjoy it.' _He added silently.

"Fine." Harry said. "I'm leaving. Happy fucking Valentine's Day, Malfoy."

"Same to you, Potter." Draco returned, and they glared at each other for a moment before Harry marched past him, heading for the stairs leading up, while Draco headed for the stairs leading downwards.

Both looked back before they took their respective paths. One last scowl was exchanged, and then they disappeared into each stairwell.

The boys thoughts were essentially the same at this point.

'_How the fuck did I just enjoy a kiss with Malfoy, of all people?'_

'_Why the fuck did kissing Potter have that strong of an effect on me?' _Draco wondered, reaching the bottom of his staircase. _'I have to figure this out.'_

He knew distantly that his life had just changed. Whether it was for the better or not, though, remained to be seen.

_TBC_

**AN: First of all, Happy Valentine's Day, whoever you are, wherever you are!**

**This is just a simple little Valentine's fic, will have about 4 chapters at this stage, so if you like it, please review and let me know!**

**Thanks for reading, and I'll see you around.**

**bleedingxheart**


	2. The Denials

**AN: Big thanks to the reviewers. Hope everyone had a satisfying Valentine's Day ;) On with the fic!**

A Valentine's Day To Remember

**Chapter Two: The Denials**

_February 15th_

The next morning, the general student population woke slowly. In complete contrast to the day before, the Great Hall was virtually empty, as students made the most of things. It was Saturday, and the previous night's events were fresh in everyone's minds as the dorms and common rooms slowly came to life.

Up in Gryffindor Tower, Harry was sitting at his favourite chair in the common room, reading a book for Transfiguration the following Monday. Several groups, mostly consisting of younger students, were scattered here and there around the room, but otherwise, Harry was alone.

A noise from the stairs distracted him, and he glanced up to see Ron and Hermione arriving in the common room together, from the boys' dorm stairs. He raised an amused eyebrow at this as they spotted him and headed towards him.

"Good morning, you two." He said, grinning at them.

"Morning, Harry." Hermione smiled, looking vaguely abashed as she took a seat opposite him.

"Morning, mate." Ron grinned at Harry. Harry had to laugh at the glint in Ron's eye. Yes, something had definitely gone down last night.

"How was your evening?" He asked delicately, turning a page in his book.

"Fine, thank you."

"Bloody brilliant."

They spoke at the same time, exchanged a glance, and then both of them blushed.

Harry looked up, grinning in amusement at this reaction. "Oh? How so?"

"Shut up, Harry." Hermione said, throwing a nearby cushion at him, her face still bright red. "Obviously you have some kind of clue as to what exactly happened, so no need to tease us about it."

Harry caught the cushion easily, setting it down beside him. "You're no fun." He muttered.

"Speaking of which," Hermione said, eyeing him curiously, "did you leave the ball early last night? We couldn't find you anywhere."

Harry visibly froze at her words, hands halfway through turning a page. He looked up slowly, and Hermione wondered at the fear and anxiety in his eyes.

"Yeah, I did. It wasn't really my scene. I came back here and went to bed." Harry lied.

Hermione studied him carefully. "No, you didn't." she said slowly. "You look way too wound up about it if that's what actually happened. Something else happened."

"You're imagining things." Harry said as dismissively as he could, hurriedly burying himself back into his book.

Hermione exchanged a glance with Ron, who shrugged. Taking that as consent to keep going, she leaned over and tugged the book from Harry's hands.

"Hey!" he protested as she placed it on a nearby table. "I was reading that!"

"Sure, whatever." She said, rolling her eyes. "Listen, Harry, whatever happened, you can tell us. We're your best friends. We won't judge you, you know that."

"Yeah, mate." Ron added. "We won't even tell Neville or Dean or Seamus, if you'd prefer."

Harry hesitated. It would be nice if someone else knew something of the turmoil that had been going through his head since the previous night. And if anyone knew how to deal with 'people' things, it was Hermione.

"Alright." He agreed reluctantly. He glanced around, checking no one was listening, before turning back to his friends.

"Well," he began, "I left the ball at about 11 o' clock. I was actually heading for the common room, but on the third floor, I ran into someone."

"Who?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked uncomfortable. "Um…Malfoy."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "What did that git do to you, Harry? If he hurt you, I swear to Merlin…"

"No, Ron!" Harry said quickly. "He didn't hurt me. Calm down."

"If he didn't hurt you, Harry, what are you so tense about?"

Harry took a deep breath. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. "Erm…hekissedme." He said in a rush.

Ron chuckled. "Sorry, mate, I must've misheard you. I thought for a moment there you said he kissed you, but that would never happen, so…"

"Ron." Hermione interrupted her boyfriend. He looked to her. "Shut up for a second."

Hermione looked over to Harry, shock evident on her face. "He kissed you? Why would he do that?"

Relieved that Hermione was there to help run the conversation more smoothly, Harry nodded. "He did, and I don't know why. We were arguing, and I insulted his father so he slammed me up against the wall. Then he sort of got this weird look in his eye, while he was staring at me, and then…he kissed me." He finished.

Ron's mouth was gaping. He looked like a red-haired goldfish. "M-Malfoy _kissed _you?" he spluttered.

Hermione rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore him. Instead, she questioned Harry further. "So what happened after that? You pushed him away, and then -"

"Er…no." Harry interrupted her. "I didn't…um…push him away, per se. I…"

Hermione's brown eyes widened and she gasped, a hand going over her mouth. "You kissed him back?" she breathed.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck, his face heated with embarrassment and the memories of the kiss. "Maybe."

They stared at him.

"Alright, yes!" Harry snapped angrily. "But I'd like to see you guys get kissed like that and try and resist it."

"Easily." Ron said, a stunned expression on his face. "If that git ever put his lips anywhere near mine, I'd happily punch his face in."

"I concur." Hermione said fervently, and went back to staring at Harry in a mixture of shock, curiosity and interest.

"So…you liked it?"

"What? No!" Harry exclaimed, outraged. "It was the heat of the moment. Thankfully, I came to my senses a few moments later, pushed him away and told him off."

Hermione was still staring at him, her eyes shining now.

"What?" Harry asked, looking thoroughly irritated.

"You liked it." She said, a little smile creeping onto her face. "You don't want to admit it, even to yourself, but you did, you liked it."

"What?! Hermione, no, you're not interpreting it the right way!" Harry said desperately.

Hermione was shaking her head. "No, no, I'm as right as I ever am with this one. You liked it. You liked kissing Malfoy."

"No!" Harry insisted.

"Mate," came Ron's hollow voice, "I might not be as good as reading people as 'Mione is, but even I can tell when someone's lying."

Hermione smiled triumphantly at Harry. "You see? Even Ron knows the truth. Admit it to yourself, Harry."

"No, I will not!" Harry said, his voice quivering slightly. "Because I _didn't._"

"Oh, but you _did._" Hermione grinned.

"Didn't!"

"Did, and the proof is right there in the way you're blushing just talking about it."

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but had nothing to say.

"I think I just won, again." Hermione smiled, reaching over and patting Harry's hand.

Harry slumped in his chair, defeated. Damn Hermione and her genius logic.

"What should I do?" he asked them dejectedly.

"Well, do you want to do it again?" Hermione asked.

Harry muttered something.

"What was that, Harry? I couldn't hear you."

He sighed. "Yes."

"Alright. Now, I'm going to ask you some fairly personal questions, alright?"

He waved a tired hand. "Go ahead."

"Have you ever fantasized about a guy previous to this?"

"No!"

'_Lying.' _Hermione thought breezily, but she continued nonetheless.

"Ever had feelings for a guy?"

"No."

"Ever had feelings for Malfoy?"

"No!"

"Ever kissed a guy?" Hermione pressed on doggedly.

"No! Not before last night, anyway." Harry said.

"Ever kissed a girl?"

"Yes."

"Which was better, the kiss with Malfoy or the kiss with the girl?"

Harry squinched his eyes shut, gritted his teeth. "…The kiss with Malfoy."

"Right, then." Hermione said with satisfaction. Harry opened his eyes and watched her cautiously.

"What?"

"Previous to this, you were bi-curious." She said. "The kiss with Malfoy has brought out your attraction to guys that you didn't know was there. You're bisexual, dear."

"I'm WHAT!" Harry yelled, getting to his feet. Several of the younger students in the room looked over curiously, wondering what he was doing.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Sit down, you fool, before you cause a huge scene." She said impatiently, and reluctantly, Harry obeyed.

"It's perfectly obvious, really. I think it might even be possible you had a crush on Malfoy previous to this as well."

"I most certainly did not!" Harry hissed.

She waved her hand impatiently. "Maybe it was just a subconscious one, I don't know. But it was definitely there." She studied him thoughtfully. "I'm surprised I haven't picked up on it before, actually. It seems so obvious now."

"But I don't _like _Malfoy!" he insisted.

"Of course you don't." she said patronizingly.

"But…I don't want him, I want someone who sees me for what I am, and not as their big hero or whatever…"

"Who better than Malfoy?" Hermione said.

Harry ignored her. "…I want someone who cares about me, who loves me, and who doesn't look at me and get that stupid shine in their eyes…"

"Malfoy, Malfoy, Malfoy." Hermione repeated. "Perhaps not the caring and loving part, but I suppose that will come, in time."

Harry gaped at her. "You can't be suggesting I should date Malfoy!"

Ron made a strangled noise, the first sign of life he'd shown in quite some time. Harry looked at him, concerned.

"Do you have a problem with all this, Ron?"

"Well…not so much the bisexual thing, I'm fine with that, and Hermione's right, it seems obvious now." Ron said. "But _Malfoy?_ Why Malfoy?"

Harry shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, Ron."

"So you do have feelings for him?" Hermione pressed.

"Well…yeah, I guess, a little…" Harry mumbled.

Hermione nodded in satisfaction. "Then you're just going to have to wait and see what happens. See what his position is on all of this first, and if it's right, make a move."

"Make a move." Harry repeated, more to himself than anything. "My best friend is telling me to make a move, on Draco Malfoy." He made a noise of frustration. "How did everything change so quickly?"

Ron sighed. "I blame Valentine's Day for this." He said, gloomily. "It always mucks up someone's life."

And for the first time in the conversation, Harry completely agreed.

HPDM

Down in the Slytherin boys dorm, meanwhile, Draco's patience was wearing thin.

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me."

"No!"

"Dracooo." Pansy whined from her cross-legged position on his bed. "Tell me!"

"NO!"

Pansy sighed, rolling her eyes. The other boys had gone ahead to breakfast. It was 10:00am, and most students were at breakfast too, but Pansy had cornered and trapped Draco in the dorm, determined to get the truth from him.

"Come now, darling," she said breezily, absently inspecting a nail, "I know you left the ball early, and I know you came back here with your hair all tousled and your lips swollen. Yes, the others told me." She added smugly as Draco made a noise of irritation. "You obviously hooked up with someone, so tell me who it was."

"I didn't 'hook up' with anyone!" Draco said hotly, pacing around the room. "This whole thing is completely ridiculous, a figment of your perverted little mind attempting to find something to gossip over, and I will not indulge it!"

Pansy rolled her eyes again. "You're such a drama queen, darling. Honestly, it's a wonder you aren't completely gay, the way you act."

Draco snarled in the back of his throat. "Nothing. Happened."

"Sure it didn't." Pansy smiled sweetly. "Ordinarily, you know, I would've given up by now, but whoever it was has thrown you into such a tizzy that I can't help but want to know who had such an effect on you."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully when this brought no response from Draco. "I'm starting to think I want a turn with whoever it was myself, if they've created this strong of a feeling with you."

"You'll keep your slutty hands off him, thank you." Draco hissed, before freezing.

Pansy's eyes sharpened, and she eyed him, assessing him. "So, it was a boy." She said, smirking when this caused Draco to curse and resume his pacing. "It _was _a boy!" she crowed triumphantly. "But the question now is who, which one, which guy, would make you act like…"

She trailed off, and was silent for so long that Draco became unnerved and looked over to her. "Pansy?" he asked, taking in her completely still figure, her wide eyes. "Pansy?" he repeated, taking a step closer.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…"

Pansy's shriek was so shrill it nearly knocked him off his feet. Covering his ears, he bellowed, "PANSY! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?"

"…EEEE!" Pansy finished, and she jumped off the bed and ran to him. "Oh, Draco." She said excitedly, pulling him in for a hug.

Draco pushed her away at once, looking at her in confusion.

"What the fuck is going on?" he repeated, somewhat desperately.

"Oh, nothing, darling." She smiled at him. "I just figured out who you had that little rendezvous with last night, that's all."

"You…you what?" Draco said, thrown.

"Of course, darling. With all the clues right there, it wasn't exactly difficult, you know." She beamed.

"Well, aren't you just so clever." Draco sneered at her. "Who, pray tell, do you think it is?"

She sighed melodramatically. "Honestly, darling, you should thank your lucky stars I put up with you every day." She flicked her hair, and beamed at him again.

"It was Harry Potter, of course."

Draco froze, just for an instant, and his actions in that moment told Pansy all she needed to know. There was the briefest flicker of fear, anxiety, surprise, in his eyes, before his expression became coolly arrogant again.

"Potter?" he sneered, laughing. "I would never, ever touch Saint Potter, even if you paid me to."

"No?" Pansy queried, her eyes glinting strangely as she smirked at him. "Well that's a pity, Draco, because it would seem you already have."

He opened his mouth angrily to retort, but she held up a hand. "You may think you are a fantastic actor, and good at hiding your emotions and all that bullshit, but you're not as good as your father." Draco visibly winced. "I saw, just then, the emotions on your face, so don't even bother trying to deny it to me." She said smoothly.

His mouth worked furiously, before snapping shut. He collapsed on the bed, his head going into his hands.

"Fine." He mumbled into them, and then looked up at her. "Fine." He repeated. "I admit it. It was Potter."

She squealed, doing a spontaneous little twirl on the spot. "Oh, darling, this is so exciting!"

"Exciting?" he repeated, staring at her incredulously. "You call it exciting? Tell me, Pansy, did your parents happen to drop you on your head as a child?"

Pansy merely waved this off, instead moving so she was sitting cross-legged next to him on the bed. "Well, I know the truth now, so you have no choice but to tell me every single detail." She said cheerfully. "Spill."

Draco looked affronted. "I most certainly will not _spill_ anything to you. What happened last night is personal."

Pansy scoffed. "You know you need another person to help you work through it. It's obvious the whole thing has confused you. Come on, darling, tell me what happened!"

Draco looked hesitant.

"Please…"

"Alright, alright." He conceded. "Fine. I'll indulge you, just this once, but you better not use any of the details for any of your more sordid fantasies."

"Spoilsport." She said sullenly. "Fine, whatever."

"OK." He took a breath. "Well, I left the ball early because it was completely disappointing and boring."

She waved a hand. "Right, right."

"I went and sought some peace and quiet in the third floor corridor. I heard someone coming, and realised it was Potter. We exchanged insults, as always, and then…" he drew an angry breath, "…he insulted my father. I'd had enough, so I shoved him up against the wall."

"Oooooh." Pansy giggled.

"Shut up." He bit icily. "Anyway, we were standing there, and I was looking at him, and…"

He trailed off, a dull flush appearing on his cheeks.

"And?" Pansy prompted him.

"…and, well, I kind of…noticed his scent." He muttered, mortified. "And it was just his eyes, and his mouth, and the proximity, and it's been a while since…you know, so…I kissed him."

Pansy squealed in glee. "Merlin, that is so goddamn _hot._" She exclaimed. He threw her a look, and continued.

"So we were kissing, and I saw his neck and…it just looked so inviting, so I moved to his neck, but when I put my hand on his stomach he pushed me away."

Pansy nodded. "That makes sense. It probably brought him back to reality. So what did he do then?"

"He yelled at me." Draco said. "I yelled back, and warned him not to tell anyone. He left."

"That's it?" Pansy said, sounding somewhat disappointed. "Well, I know exactly what happened now, so only one question really remains."

Draco raised an eyebrow at her, waiting.

She smirked. "Did you like it?"

"What?!"

"It's a simple question, Draco." She said innocently. "Did you like it?"

"I…you…I can't answer that!" Draco cried, outraged and embarrassed.

"Can't you?" she said sweetly. "It's really a simple case of saying 'No, I didn't.'"

"But…" Draco protested.

She smiled. "Your reluctance to say even that is answer enough. You liked it, you definitely liked it." She eyed him critically for a moment, taking in the flushed face and glowing eyes. "I guess you could even go as far to say you loved it, in fact."

"I…you…this is crazy!" he exclaimed.

"No, you're crazy." She corrected him, smirking. "Crazy for Potter, that is."

He glared at her, cold fury in his gaze. "Oh, no. No, no. Don't even try and turn it into more than it is. I feel nothing for Potter."

"Of course you don't, sweetheart." She said, laughter in her voice. "You _don't_ find his eyes hauntingly beautiful, you _don't_ miss his scent, and you most certainly _do not_ want to kiss him again."

He merely glared at her, which proved her point.

"You and Potter." She said speculatively, tapping her chin with one perfectly manicured finger. "Well, I have to admit it's unexpected, but now it's happened, I can't believe I didn't see it coming."

"What do you mean?" Draco demanded at once.

"Well, answer me this. Who's the one person who always managed to get beneath that façade of yours, all the years we've been here?"

"Potter." Draco answered, as though she were obtuse. "I don't see what that has to do with…"

"Who," Pansy continued determinedly, "is the one person who you always spent most of your time thinking about, trying to plot revenge?"

"Potter." Draco answered.

"Who's the one person who shakes your self-control every time you're around him? Who makes you storm around the dorm room whenever a plot gets foiled? Who do you never shut up about? Who, in short, makes you feel, more than anyone else in the castle?"

"Potter." Draco whispered, now stunned.

"You see?" Pansy said, not without pity. "All these years, he's been the one person to completely shake your very foundations to the core, in a way no one else could manage. It's never occurred to you, but maybe, you were showing him all that hatred as a way of dealing with the repressed emotion you felt for him."

"And what would that be?" Draco asked, almost afraid of her answer.

"Love." She said simply.

"LOVE?" Draco cried, springing to his feet at once. "Love? Pansy, I do not _love _Potter, I never have loved Potter and I never will love Potter!"

"How do you know that, really?" she asked him. "You've never given yourself the chance!"

"This is ridiculous!" Draco said. "At most what I feel is lust. That's all. Not _love_! Love is for stupid little 4th year Hufflepuffs who don't know any better!"

Pansy got up from his bed, casting him a pitying look. "You just keep telling yourself that, darling." She said soothingly. "But you'll realise, in the end, that I'm right. I'm going to breakfast now. All this arguing as got me rather hungry. Later."

Draco allowed her a grudging goodbye in return. She left the room, murmuring to herself as she did so, "Draco and Potter. How interesting."

Draco collapsed onto his bed once more, staring morosely at the ceiling.

'_It's completely ridiculous.' _He argued with himself. _'Me, and Potter, love? It would never happen! That kiss had that effect on me because I hadn't kissed anyone in a while, that's all. I'm sure if I kissed someone else, it would be the same. I don't need someone in my life, anyway. She's completely wrong on this one.'_

Satisfied, Draco got up from his bed, and followed Pansy's footsteps out the door towards the common room. He'd prove her wrong, see if he didn't.

First, though, he had a little correspondence to take up.

_TBC_

**AN: Hahaha I love writing dialogue. And as you probably saw, this chapter is absolutely filled with it, so I had quite a bit of fun writing it :D**

**Ah, those crazy boys. In such denial. Harry seems to be pretty much beyond that stage, but looks like Draco has a bit of catching up to do, eh?**

**On another note, tomorrow is my 16th birthday! Yay me. So, I reckon there would be no better present for me than if I got a couple of birthday reviews! Hint hint…**

**Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time.  
****  
bleedingxheart**


	3. The Second Rendezvous

**AN: Thanks very much to all my birthday reviewers! I really appreciate it :)**

**Warning: Strongest slash yet in this chapter. No like-y, no read-y, although if you don't, what the hell are you doing this far into the fic?**

A Valentine's Day To Remember

**Chapter Three: The Second Rendezvous**

_February 15th (still)_

Draco found a certain comfort in the way the flames of the torches danced beside him as he strode through the corridors. He hadn't really noticed them before, because of course such thoughts are usually beyond a Malfoy, but considering the situation he needed every distraction he could find.

He arrived at the place he'd been aiming for – a statue of a particularly beautiful looking witch named Lorien, on the third floor of the castle.

Here, he waited for his distraction.

He didn't have to wait long.

"Draco?" came the voice.

He turned towards it, pleasantly charming smile completely intact. "Camilla." He greeted. "You're as beautiful as I remember you."

She moved into the flickering torchlight. Draco allowed himself to observe her. She was younger than he, but only by a year. They had been together for only a month, and Draco knew it was somewhat a miraculous event that she had agreed to meet him here, at such a short notice.

She'd grown her hair, he mused. The long, chocolate brown strands now reached down to the very curve of her waist, accentuating her slender figure. She gazed at him out of cool blue eyes, her pretty features shaped into a smile. Distantly, he noticed he felt nothing looking at her, but shook it off at once.

"How have you been?" he asked her.

"Very well, thank you." She purred back. "I see you every now and then in the halls, you know. You never say hello. Your note was unexpected."

"Yes, well." Draco said, smiling charmingly. "We all have our lives, don't we? I take it you read and understood what I meant, in the note?"

"Naturally." She said, her voice light. "I've heard the rumours, but I'm not fooled. You haven't been with anyone for quite some time, and you grew sick of it. These things are understandable."

Draco winced inwardly. "Discretion was always a strong point of yours, as I remember."

"Indeed." She smiled at him, unwinding the long stretch of bronze and blue around her neck as she did so. Taking an end in each hand, she wound the scarf around Draco's neck, and gave a pull, dragging him towards her.

They ended up with her against the wall, he with his hands on her hips. She released the scarf, replacing it instantly with her own hands.

Draco felt hopelessly awkward, bizarrely. He'd been in this situation before, several times with Camilla herself, actually. He knew the next step, logically, was to kiss her. But, something was just…

He shook it off. Nothing was 'just.' Everything was fine. Here was a beautiful girl, right in front of him, and dammit if he wasn't going to kiss her.

So, he leaned forward, and did just that.

Her lips were soft and cool under his. She smelt vaguely of a sweet fruit. He guessed it as being watermelon, perhaps orange. Her hair brushed against his fingers, which were resting still on her slender hips. She was several inches shorter than him, so that her face was tilted slightly upwards against his. Her breasts were enough that they stopped him from pressing against her completely.

In another world, had he been given this scenario and asked to spot the problems, he would've said that there was absolutely nothing wrong. But, in this new world that Valentine's Day had thrown him into, there were countless things wrong.

The mouth he kissed did not kiss him back with masculine strength. The hips his hands rested on were soft and feminine. He could feel no bulge pressing into him. Hair was brushing against his chest, rather than being short and messy and soft beneath his hands…

This was nothing like kissing Potter.

That simple revelation was enough to cause Draco to spring back, wiping his mouth and gasping in horror at himself. Camilla raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He stood still for a moment, taking stock. There was no desire coursing through him. He had barely been affected by the kiss at all. Draco emitted a frustrated growl.

"Nothing." He snapped, aggravated. "Keeping in mind your tendency for discretion, do me a favour and use that talent, hm?"

"Say nothing of you messaging me out of the blue, leading me here, kissing me and then leaping away from me?" Camilla asked. "Not without the proper incentive, I most certainly will not."

Draco rolled his eyes, but lazily produced a handful of Galleons, which he tossed to her. "I believe that will suffice?"

She counted the Galleons, and glanced up at him with a serene smile. "We never met."

"Smart girl." Draco commented. He stood for a moment, hesitating, indecisive. The sight of her turning to leave, however, spurred him into action. "Camilla!" he blurted, quite suddenly.

She turned. "Yes?"

"Would you happen to know where Terry Boot might be?" he asked.

"I thought I heard him say something about going to the library." She answered, before frowning prettily at him. "Why do you ask?"

"None of your business." He said coldly, tossing another few Galleons to her. "You just keep walking."

She huffed at him, but left nonetheless. Draco began walking as well, in the opposite direction, heading for the Library.

HPDM

"Harry, what did you write for your introductory paragraph?" Ron asked, frowning at his parchment. When the silence stretched on, he looked up at his friend.

Harry was sitting opposite him, quill hovering in his hand. Thick drops of ink dripped slowly from its tip, splashing onto the parchment below.

"Harry?" Ron repeated.

Harry seemed to come out of a reverie. "Huh? Oh, sorry Ron." He said, staring absent-mindedly at his now drop-covered parchment. He reached for a nearby scroll and handed it over to his red-haired friend. "There you go."

"Thanks, mate." Ron said, accepting it and unrolling it.

Hermione was scrutinizing Harry. "Are you okay, Harry?" she asked him.

"What? Oh, yeah, fine." He said, finally realising the parchment before him was useless and scrunching it up. "I just keep spacing out, you know?"

Hermione hummed sympathetically. "I would too, I suppose, if I'd just found out what you did."

"Yeah." Harry said absently, now staring at a clean sheet of parchment.

"If you want to talk to him, you know Harry, you might have to actually leave the common room." Hermione pointed out.

"I'm aware of that." Harry said. "Which is why I intend to stay here."

Hermione chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Coward." She murmured in amusement, returning to her own work.

HPDM

Draco pushed open the doors of the library and strode in purposefully. He walked past Madam Pince's desk, past the endless rows of books, headed straight for the study area.

To his pleasure, he found Terry Boot sitting at a table right at the back. There was barely anyone around. Draco strode towards him, confident smirk in place.

Terry was bent over a piece of parchment, writing frantically. Numerous opened books were scattered around the table. He didn't look up as Draco approached.

"Hello, Terry." Draco said smoothly. "Long time, no see."

Terry froze, and then slowly raised his head to look at Draco. "Draco." He greeted, looking suspicious and cautious. "What a surprise."

"So, how have things been with your girlfriend?" Draco asked, seemingly casually.

"Wonderful, thanks for asking." Terry said, eyes narrowed. "I've never been happier."

"Touching." Draco smiled coolly. "Truly touching. You must, I assume, be wondering why I'm here?"

"Well, yes, actually." Terry said.

"I was thinking last night – Valentine's Day and everything, you know – about all the people I've known in my time, and I couldn't help but reminisce about you." Draco said, blithely lying on the spot.

Terry looked completely suspicious now. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, yes. Good times, weren't they Terry? We had fun together, didn't we?"

"Yes." Terry admitted, albeit grudgingly.

"That's what I thought." Draco smiled.

Terry got up from the table, standing and facing Draco. "Look, Draco, I don't know what you're trying to do here, but I am extremely happy with Bella, and…"

'_Just do it.' _Draco's brain ordered him, and so, adhering to his plan, he moved forward, grabbed Terry, pushed him against a nearby bookshelf and began kissing him.

Once again, Draco faced the scenario problem. Yes, this time there were no slender hips, no long hair, and no breasts getting in the way. Logically, it should be fine.

But Terry's scent was nowhere near as intoxicating, his hair not as messy, or soft…

It was wrong. It felt wrong. His body, unlike what it had been with Camilla, was reacting to the outside stimuli, but it just wasn't actually doing anything for him.

Disgusted, horrified and desperate, Draco tried to grind his hips against Terry's, only to be hit with another all-consuming wave of wrongness. It just didn't feel right.

Giving up, he pulled away from Terry, wiping his mouth.

Terry stared at him, panting slightly, fury in his eyes. "What the hell, Draco!" he exclaimed. "What the fuck was that for? You know I don't swing that way anymore! There are countless other man-whores in this place who would be all too happy to oblige you!"

Draco cursed under his breath. He shot a look at Terry. "Very well." He sneered as composedly as he could. "I can see I'm not wanted, but you're the one who's missing out. I'll take my business elsewhere." He began to walk away, before another thing occurred to him, and he swung back around.

"By the way, Terry, go blabbing about what just happened and I can make sure it's the last thing you'll ever say." He said smoothly to the Ravenclaw, who glared furiously back. Blowing him a lazy kiss, Draco walked away.

What Terry had said was true, Draco mused as he walked. There were plenty of guys who wouldn't mind making out with him.

Problem was, Draco only seemed to respond to one guy, who was most definitely not one of those man-whores Terry had mentioned.

'_I am so fucked.' _Draco thought despondently, throwing open the doors of the library and then allowing them to shut behind him with a bang.

HPDM

It was lunchtime. Pansy was sitting at the Slytherin table, eating her soup and chatting amicably with Queenie Greengrass, when the doors to the Great Hall swung open and Draco stalked in, thunder in his eyes.

"Uh-oh." Queenie noted, drawing Pansy's attention. "Looks like Draco's not in a good mood."

Draco stalked to the Slytherin table, and threw himself into his seat beside Pansy. He sat there, with a murderous scowl on his face, arms folded.

"Afternoon, Draco." Pansy tried.

"Afternoon _yourself._" Draco snarled in reply. He glared darkly at Pansy, who to her credit, didn't even flinch.

"So what's got you all in a bother?" she asked lightly, taking a neat spoonful of her soup and eating it.

Draco growled in the back of his throat. "Nothing."

"Of course." Pansy rolled her eyes, and gestured to Queenie to move so she could talk to Draco. Queenie got up and went to sit with Blaise and Nott further down the table, leaving Pansy with Draco. She turned to him.

"Come now, darling, you look set to kill." She said. "Why don't you tell your Pansy all about it, hm?"

"First of all, you are not mine, in any way, shape or form." Draco snarled. "Second of all, you already shook a confession out of me today, and you're not getting a second one from me."

Pansy smiled. "Right, right. Well, if you won't tell me, I'll just have to guess, won't I?"

When Draco gave no response, she pretended to think.

"It's not because of schoolwork." She said.

He grunted at her, pouring himself some soup.

"It's not anything to do with friends."

He was now pouring himself some pumpkin juice.

"And of course, it has everything to do with Potter." She concluded smugly.

He choked on the pumpkin juice in his mouth. Coughing, he death-glared her.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"Honestly, darling." She scoffed. "I wonder why I endure these insults. Of _course _it's to do with Potter! No one else gives you that precious 'If-you-come-near-me-I-will-kill-you' look of yours like he does! So, does that mean you had another run in with him, then? Ooooh!" she said suddenly. "Did he kiss you again? Is that it?"

"No!" Draco snapped. "That's not what happened! Look, I decided this morning to prove you wrong, and I arranged a meet up with Camilla."

"That Ravenclaw you hooked up with last year?" Pansy asked, wrinkling her nose. "She's pretty, I'll admit, but she wasn't that special, surely?"

"No, she wasn't." Draco sighed. There really was no escape from interrogations from Pansy. "I kissed her as a way of proving to myself I reacted to Potter that way because it was just physical contact, that's all, and I wanted to see if it would be the same if I kissed a girl."

"And was it?" Pansy asked.

"No." Draco said sullenly. "It wasn't. I realised while it was going on that it was basically nothing compared to kissing Potter last night, which horrified me so much I ended it."

"Oh." Pansy said contemplatively. She grinned wickedly all of a sudden. "So, was…er, little Malfoy interested in the happenings at all?"

"You couldn't be more crude if you tried, Pansy." He bit scornfully, and then flushed. "And to answer the question, no."

"Interesting." She said mildly. "Carry on."

"Then I thought it was stupid of me to test anything with a girl, because kissing a girl is completely different to kissing a boy. So I tracked down Terry Boot."

"Your old boyfriend?" Pansy exclaimed. "But he's straight now, apparently, and quite happy with that Bella girl from Hufflepuff, from what I've heard."

"Kissed him anyway." Draco said indifferently.

Pansy gasped. "Nothing is sacred with you, is it, when you've got a mission?" she said admirably.

"No." Draco said, simply.

Pansy gave a low whistle. "You better hope Terry doesn't go blabbing to Bella."

He waved a hand. "She's just a stupid Hufflepuff, like she could touch me. The point is, Pansy…" and here he lowered his voice, his face bright red, "…I realised something from kissing Terry again."

"Oooh, what?" Pansy asked at once.

"I'll tell you, but you have to swear on our nearly 16 year friendship that you will not breathe a word to anyone." Draco warned her.

"Cross my heart and hope to die, darling." Pansy smiled at him. "Now spill!"

Draco took a few deep breaths, feeling mortified. "I kissed him, and it was just…wrong. I mean, don't get me wrong, 'little Draco', as you so charmingly called my…yes, was interested, but it was just…wrong."

"Oh my." Pansy breathed.

"I even tried grinding, for Merlin's sake!" Draco said, frustrated. "But it just didn't feel the same. It wasn't the same, because…"

"…it wasn't Potter." Pansy finished for him, grinning.

"Stop grinning, you silly bitch." Draco snarled angrily. "This isn't funny, it's actually a very serious situation!"

"Come now, darling, don't tell me it isn't funny that you, Draco Malfoy, Ice Prince, former male whore of Slytherin, only feels properly horny when he's kissing his rival." Pansy smirked. "It's damn funny, from where I'm standing."

"Yes! Exactly! From where you're standing!" Draco hissed, furious. "I'd like to see if you would still be laughing if you were in this situation with, say, Granger!"

Pansy waved a hand dismissively. "Me and Granger? Like that would never happen."

"See, that's what I used to believe about me and Potter! But things change!" Draco snapped.

"Yes, they do. You find yourself alone with your rival, you pin him against the wall, and all of a sudden his _scent _is so _intoxicating _and his _lips _are so _inviting_…" Pansy teased.

"Shut the fuck up." He snarled at her.

"So, now we know Potter really does it for you, are you going to approach him?"

"No! I'm not insane, Pansy, like you clearly are. He'd smash my face in if I ever tried it again."

"How can you be so sure?" Pansy questioned. "He kissed you back, after all. Imagine how crazy it would be if it turned out you two were meant for each other all this time, and we didn't even realise!"

"That's very nice and everything, Pansy, but life doesn't work the way it does in fantasies." Draco snapped. "I don't like him, I don't care about him, I don't want him, I don't need him and I most certainly will never, ever love him!"

There was a note of finality in his voice, and Pansy knew it was a signal their conversation must end.

'_Whatever you say, Draco.'_ She thought, watching as he furiously tucked into his soup. _'You'll be eating those words before long.'_

HPDM

Harry sighed, listlessly poking the beef on his plate with a fork. He really wasn't hungry. He and his friends had spent the whole day in Gryffindor Tower. Well, at least, he had – his friends had gone down to get lunch, and Hermione had kindly brought him back some. He was afraid to go anywhere, in case he ran into Malfoy again.

But they'd convinced him he should come down for dinner, as it wasn't healthy, being cooped up in the Tower for that long.

He knew they had a point, but still he resented them on some level, for forcing him to be here in the overwhelming warmth and light and noise of the Great Hall.

Where _he _was.

Harry was trying, he really was, not to look at Draco. But somehow, the night before had caused his eyes and the Slytherin to become like polar magnets – couldn't keep them apart. His eyes just kept trailing over to the Slytherin table.

The strange thing was, 9 times out of 10 Harry would find Draco looking right back at him. Whenever this happened, Draco would scowl, glare or just simply quickly avert his gaze.

Strangely, Draco left halfway through the meal. Harry watched him go, thinking. His conversation with Ron and Hermione that morning had completely unnerved him. Hearing Hermione's way of putting things had resulted in him feeling completely disconnected from himself, and every single thing in his world that had been there before was gone.

The question was, how do you start to rebuild your entire world once it's been completely changed?

Harry had no idea.

Frankly, the whole thing was just too confusing.

It was a few minutes until the end of dinner and the start of dessert when Harry decided he'd had enough of the excess noise, light and warmth of the Great Hall.

"I'm going to go, I think." He said to Ron and Hermione.

Hermione looked up, surprised and concerned. "But Harry, tonight they're serving treacle tart for dessert! I know how much you love treacle tart."

Harry's sense of personal disquiet was enough that even the idea of his favourite dessert wasn't appealing anymore. "I know, Hermione. I'm just not hungry. I'll see you guys later."

"Alright, Harry." She agreed reluctantly. Ron was also eyeing Harry with concern.

"You right, mate?"

"Yeah, Ron. I'm fine, honest. I'll see you guys later." Harry said, pushing back his chair and standing, waving off Seamus, Dean and Neville's enquiries as he did so.

He left the hall and walked up the Grand Staircase, taking the time to enjoy the peace and quiet of the halls. The students wouldn't leave for at least another 20 minutes, as people were usually crazy to miss dessert.

'_Does that mean I'm crazy?' _Harry wondered to himself.

_Maybe not crazy because of dessert._

He wandered aimlessly, up and around the staircases and hidden entrances. He had no destination in particular – he just needed to be alone.

Unfortunately for Harry, the solitude wouldn't last long.

HPDM

Draco paced back and forth. He was in the same place he'd met Camilla that morning - near the statue of Lorien on the third floor. He'd left dinner early, unable to endure any more of having to make eye contact with Potter, and the subsequent leaping, fluttery sensation that erupted in his stomach whenever that happened.

It was too much.

So now he was pacing, arguing with himself, trying desperately to cling to the threads of his old world, at the same time knowing those threads were getting weaker and weaker by the second.

A second beat of footsteps echoed down the corridor. Draco stopped in his tracks, eyes closed, teeth gritted. He knew who it was. Who else could it be?

'_What the hell did I do to you?' _Draco silently begged Fate, before turning to meet his.

Potter stood there, dark hair a mess, eyes glowing, suspicious scowl intact.

Draco felt like slapping himself when he felt his stomach flutter.

HPDM

Harry eyed Malfoy, who was standing a few metres away from him. Honestly, all he wanted was some time to figure things out, and who did he run into, of all people?

Harry inclined his head, determined to be polite. "Malfoy."

"Potter." Draco sneered in greeting. There was a moment of silence before Draco spoke again.

"Haven't told anyone, have you Potter?"

"Told anyone what?" Harry challenged.

Malfoy's stormy grey eyes narrowed, and he growled low in his throat. "Don't try and make me look like an idiot, Potter." He snarled. "You know perfectly well what I'm referring to."

"Do I?" Harry pretended to consider. "Oh yeah, you mean how you and I made out last night?"

Draco hissed. "You don't have to be so blatant about it, Potter. For all you know, someone could be listening."

"Everyone's at dinner." Harry waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway, to answer your question, yes, I did. I told Ron and Hermione."

"Gryffindors." Draco rolled his eyes. "Can't keep anything to themselves. Well, how did the Weasel and the Mudblood react?"

"Don't call them that." Harry said sharply, dangerously. "And they were surprised at first, of course, but they got over it quickly."

Draco nodded slowly, considering this in spite of himself.

"I suppose you haven't breathed a word to anyone, as Merlin forbid anyone ever find out you kissed me." Harry said.

"Actually," Draco corrected, "Pansy forced it out of me. She was surprised at first too, but now she's convinced I'm secretly in love with you."

Harry laughed as derisively as he could, feeling extremely uncomfortable. "That's strange, Hermione was saying the same thing. I think it's insane. We hate each other, everyone knows that."

'_And yet.'_

The words were not spoken, nor communicated in any way between the two boys, but each still recognized what the other was thinking.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. All his fire, all his hatred that he'd called upon so easily before, was notably absent. He recognized the intensity burning in Draco's eyes. He wondered what would happen next.

Draco took a few steps closer, eyes fixed on Harry's face. He felt a reckless feeling, a warm, pleasant burning, slowly spreading through his limbs. He thought, upon moving closer, he could smell that intoxicating scent which had overcome his senses the night before. It served as a trigger then, and it was serving as a trigger now. He moved even closer.

"Well, anyway Malfoy, as fun as this has been, I really have to leave now." Harry said, eyeing him cautiously.

'_Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it.' _Chanted Draco's brain, but like every single time he'd ever been around Potter, even in first year, his common sense took a backseat.

He pounced, pushing Potter up against the wall beside the statue of Lorien. Potter had barely let out a surprised 'mmrph' before Draco's hands were tangled in dark, messy hair and his lips were against Harry's.

There was a hesitation, of only a moment, before hands slid into blonde hair and Harry began kissing back.

'_Why is this so good?' _Draco wondered dazedly as Harry moaned against his mouth. _'It's not like he's doing anything spec-AH!' _For Harry had chosen that moment to move his hands from Draco's hair to his hips, and pulled them taut against his.

Encouraged, Draco ground his hips up against Harry's, prompting a moan from both boys. Things began to move, faster than either of them could keep track of – Draco's mouth at Harry's throat, Harry's hands exploring the small of Draco's back – each sensation flashing past, leaving each of them with a sense of pleasure and deprivation, having much but craving more.

Harry's robe slipped clean off his shoulders, allowing Draco's eager hands to sneak into Harry's shirt and float across his stomach. Harry shivered as those cool fingers worked their magic, the touch like ice against the fire of his skin.

There was only one comprehensible word in Draco's mind, and he voiced it.

"More." He murmured, pulling away from Harry's neck to look straight into those green eyes.

It was the strangest moment. Harry felt detached from himself, like he was living in someone else's body. Everything slowed right down. Draco's eyes were darkened with lust as they stared at him, asking their silent question. Harry was too far gone to think of repercussions at this point. He nodded.

Draco's hand slid downwards, and suddenly the world sped up again, the flashes of sensation resuming.

The cool air on his stomach. The silky smooth feel of the skin of Draco's lower stomach. The soft touch of Draco's hand.

The last fragile threads connecting Draco to his old world snapped completely. Inexperience was no longer an issue as Harry worked him, their breaths coming in pants and gasps.

"Oh…" Draco whimpered, biting back a moan. They had barely even been in contact with each other for 5 minutes, and already he was _so close_. Draco could barely comprehend the effect this boy had on him.

Harry whimpered as well now, his eyes closed tight.

"Potter…" Draco gasped. "Oh Merlin, _Harry…_"

"Draco…"

A moment later, the new world they'd been building together exploded in a sharp stab of pleasure. They cried out in unison, slowly coming back down from the high clouds they had been floating in.

Draco blinked lazily from his new position. He was leaning on Harry against the wall, his breathing slowly steadying, his foggy mind slowly clearing.

Harry breathed in, the warm, sweet scent of Draco invading his nose, hovering over his senses. He felt sated, and happier than he'd been in a long time.

He cleared his throat gently, retrieving his wand from the pocket of his jeans and pointing it at the mess in between them.

"Evanesco." He murmured, and all traces of their activities vanished at once.

Draco pulled away from Harry, setting about straightening his robes, tucking in his shirt and re-fastening his pants. Harry hastened to follow suit, and it was a matter of moments before they were both presentable again.

They both heard the distant rumble of the students scraping back their chairs and leaving dinner several floors below. Harry looked at Draco. Draco looked at Harry.

There was silence.

"As fun as that was, Potter, look at the time. Must dash." Draco drawled, sneering half-heartedly.

Rather than the immediate returning insult he was expecting, Harry merely stared at him. Draco felt a strong sense of disquiet.

"You know, Malfoy," Harry said quietly, "there really isn't anything stopping me from staying here, waiting until some students come past and telling them the truth about what's going on here. But," he held up a hand to stop Draco's retort, "I won't do that, because I know what your reputation means to you. I just think it's a shame that you will always let that precious, god-damned reputation get in the way of a chance to be happy."

Draco stared open-mouthed at Harry, who gazed coolly back.

"And you know what, Malfoy? I feel sorry for you, I really do. I can't imagine living life without happiness. And I don't want anything to do with you if that's what your life is going to be."

Draco was silent. Harry cocked his head, judging how far away the incoming rush of students was. Deciding he should leave, he then did the one spontaneous thing he'd probably ever done in his life.

He leaned forward and kissed Draco again, but this time minus the passion and fire of lust. This kiss purely spoke of a care, of deep, untapped emotions.

Of love.

Harry pulled away, and rested a hand lightly on Draco's shoulder.

"So long, Malfoy." He said quietly. He then brushed past Draco, walking calmly away from him, and out of sight.

Draco stood stock still, feeling like the entire world had been turned on its head. He'd let go of his old world, and it had seemed like the new one wasn't going to be as bad as he'd thought.

But Potter had changed everything, again.

And Draco was upside down, inside out, and more confused than he'd ever been in his life.

_TBC_

**AN: Phew! Well, this chapter turned out considerably longer than I'd originally intended for it. Oh well. Hope you all liked it, anyway.**

**Well! I will just point out now that the slash scene in this is basically the slashiest thing I've ever written, and dammit, it was hard to write. :\**

**So, you know the drill. Review if you want, please. That would be good. Yup yup.**

**Next time!**

**bleedingxheart**


	4. The Plan

**AN: Thanks to all reviewers! Enjoy the latest instalment.**

A Valentine's Day To Remember

**Chapter Four: The Plan February 16th **

"So Harry, you going to tell us what happened or what?" Hermione questioned cheerfully.

The boys had all just arrived in the common room, and the group of friends were preparing to depart for breakfast. Hermione was watching her friend with an expectant expression on her face. Dean, Seamus, Neville and Ginny were already halfway to the portrait hole, with she, Harry and Ron bringing up the rear.

"Excuse me?" Harry said incredulously.

Hermione smiled at him. "Harry, we've been friends for a long time now." She reminded him. "Surely by now you must realise I can tell when something important has happened to you."

'_Dammit.' _Harry thought resignedly. There just was no hiding anything from the girl. "Fine, yes, I will."

"It had to do with Malfoy again, didn't it?" Ron asked, an expression flashing over his face like he had tasted something unpleasant and bitter when speaking Malfoy's name.

"Yes." Harry sighed, as his friends fell into step beside him, heading for the portrait hole. "It did, Ron. I ran into him while everyone was having dessert."

"Well, that means whatever happened, happened in the space of about 20 or so minutes." Hermione concluded, and now she raised an eyebrow at Harry. "So…what _did _happen?"

"We just…that is to say, we, ah…it wasn't…" Harry said helplessly.

Hermione merely smiled knowingly at Ron. "Can we safely assume something very, ah, intimate, happened?"

Harry's cheeks burned. "Yes."

"Hm. OK." She smiled at him. "So did you tell him how you felt?"

Harry's brilliantly green eyes darkened. "No, but I probably would have, if it wasn't for him."

Even Ron was curious now. "What did he do this time?" he asked, a hopeful note in his voice. Clearly, some bitterness never faded.

"Well, once we became aware that the entire school would be upon us within minutes, he decided to act like a git as usual. He said, _'As fun as that was, Potter, look at the time. Must dash.'_" Harry's voice took on a near perfect imitation of Malfoy's infamous sneer as he quoted him. "Like he wasn't even affected by what had happened."

"Typical Malfoy." Hermione sighed.

"I know. I got so frustrated with him. I mean, clearly there's something going on here. I can feel it, and I know he does too, but he still insisted on upholding his stupid ideal of himself. So I told him that."

Ron laughed despite himself. "And so you should have, that slimy, lying git."

"What exactly did you say, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I told him it was a shame he let his reputation get in the way of a chance of happiness." Harry said. "And I also said that if that's the way he was going to be, I didn't want any part of him anymore."

Hermione grinned wide at this. "Nice. How'd he react?"

"He looked like someone had just clubbed him over the head." Harry replied promptly. "I don't think he'd quite realised the truth until I'd laid it out for him." He hesitated now, knowing what he should tell them next but still embarrassed to do so. "As a way of sealing my argument, I kissed him again."

Ron closed his eyes briefly. "Stupid Valentine's Day." He muttered. "I fully blame it for this sick, twisted change in our lives."

The other two ignored him. Hermione's eyes were wide and shining as she looked at Harry now. "So you kissed him with intent to…you know…?" she questioned.

"No." Harry answered. "I purposely left out any of the…um…lust."

Ron made a choked sound.

"It was different. I wanted to convey to him how I felt, without the words. And I did. I left after that."

Ron let out a low whistle. "Boy, I bet Malfoy's in a good mood today then." He commented. "He's going to kill you, mate."

"No, he won't." Hermione said dismissively before Harry could comment on this. "I'd say that what Harry did must've sunken in by now. If he does try to kill you, it'll only be because he knows you're right, Harry."

Harry exhaled. "Thanks, Hermione, that means a lot. I'll be dead, but I'll still be right, so it's all OK."

"I didn't say…" Hermione protested, but Harry cut her off.

"It's alright, 'Mione." He said. "Look, the ball's in Malfoy's court now. I've made my point, he should know where I stand, so whatever happens now is on him, and I don't really want to waste my time worrying about it, so can we drop it now?"

"Sure, mate." Ron said agreeably.

"Of course, Harry." Hermione smiled. "I'm amazed you're so calm about it, actually. I guess you really do live up to the whole Gryffindor bravery thing."

Harry merely smiled, but secretly thought, as they approached the Great Hall's doors, that what he was feeling right now was as far and away from bravery as humanly possible. Regardless of what he said, he was nervous about being in the same room as Malfoy for the first time after their encounter.

Gryffindor bravery, indeed.

HPDM

As Draco took his seat at the Slytherin table and began pouring himself some juice, the sight of Pansy approaching the bench opposite caused him to sigh in resignation. She had barely done more than sit down, and had just looked to him and opened her mouth when Draco raised a bored hand.

"Firstly, before you start, yes, something did happen to me last night which was the cause of my current appearance. Yes, that something involved Potter, and you are hereby definitely forbidden from asking any further questions." He sneered.

Pansy flicked her dark hair over her shoulder. "Touchy, touchy, Draco darling." She smiled breezily, nodding a casual greeting to Theo and Blaise who had just joined them. "I see he's succeeded yet again in getting under your skin."

"Who has?" Blaise asked her curiously.

"No-one." Draco snapped, but Pansy grinned delightedly.

"Why, Potter, of course. Draco loves him."

"WHAT?!" came the cry from both Blaise and Theo, and their necks practically broke as they whipped around to stare incredulously at Draco, who looked set to explode with anger on the spot.

"Don't worry, she's lying." He hissed to them through gritted teeth. "I most certainly do not _love _Potter, Pansy, the notion is ridiculous."

"Then what did he do last night that's got you looking so tired and so incredibly stirred this morning, darling?" Pansy smiled. "Ooooh, did he tell you that _he _loves _you_? I imagine that would be sufficient to freak you out."

"No, he did not." Draco spat.

"Wait, what? Potter and Draco?" Theo looked completely confused. "Have we missed something?"

"No!" Draco said hurriedly, just as Pansy said, "Well duh, darling, of course you have."

"Don't believe her! She lies!" Draco insisted frantically, but it was too late, Blaise and Theo were now waiting on an explanation from Pansy.

"On Valentine's Day Draco ended his year-long period of abstinence and hooked up with Potter, and he _liked _it, and then he tried to test whether it was just because he hadn't gotten any for so long, which it wasn't. And Draco just told me before that something else happened last night with Potter." Pansy concluded.

"Pansy, you are the lowest, foulest, trashiest piece of filth I've ever had the misfortune of knowing." Draco growled from where his head was buried in his hands.

"And I love you too, darling." She smiled at him, as Theo and Blaise both reacted at the same time.

"Wait a minute, hold up, you hooked up with Potter?"

"Is he a good kisser?"

"Theo!" Blaise exclaimed, scandalised.

"What?" Theo defended himself. "I was just wondering."

Pansy was studying Draco intensely, trying to determine the happenings of last night for herself. "He kissed you again, that much is obvious…" she murmured.

This elicited a tortured kind of grunt from Draco. Undeterred, Pansy kept going.

"So logically, the next step would be…darling!" she gasped suddenly, a hand over her mouth and pure mirth dancing in her eyes. "He got you off, didn't he?"

Blaise and Theo both made twin strangled noises of amusement and shock at this, while Draco merely turned a deep, uncompromising red.

"Yes! I'm right! He's blushing!" Pansy crowed triumphantly. "He got you off, and it was the best in your life, wasn't it?"

"No!" Draco said desperately. "It wasn't that good!"

"Oh yes it was!" Pansy said happily. "You're getting in the mood again now just remembering it, aren't you?"

Draco turned even redder at this, causing Pansy to squeal.

"Oh, it's all going so well!" she said, clapping her hands together delightedly. "So that's what happened last night that made you look all tense this morning, he got you off!"

There was a silence before Draco muttered, in a pained voice, "Well…not exactly."

"What do you mean, not exactly?" Pansy said at once. "I guessed it right, he got you off, you liked it way too much, it freaked you out, end of story."

Draco was quiet for a moment. Ever since Valentine's Day, his principles, hell, the very foundations of his existence had gone flying out the window. It seemed in this new world Valentine's Day had thrown he and Potter, confessing to Pansy about his problems was mandatory. Why stop the trend now?

"Well, actually, something else happened. He…got me off," Draco winced inwardly at how the words truly sounded, "and we heard everyone starting to leave dinner."

"You mean I was only a few minutes away from witnessing you two last night?" Pansy demanded, sounding thoroughly irritated. "That makes me wish now I hadn't had that extra slice of treacle tart."

"Pansy, shut up already." Theo said to her, annoyed. "I want to hear what happened."

"Yeah, Pansy, belt up." was Blaise's contribution.

She pouted as Draco threw Theo and Blaise grateful looks, before continuing.

"I tried to dismiss him, and then he started some crap about letting my reputation getting in the way of happiness and how stupid he thought I was." Draco tried very hard to sound unaffected as he said this. "And then he kissed me again."

Pansy cooed, and then stopped suddenly, frowning. "Wait, why'd he do that, if the entirety of the student body was about to discover you?"

"Well…that's the thing." Draco muttered, mortified. "He didn't, um, put any lust into it."

He left it hanging, hoping desperately they'd realise his meaning. Which they did, straightaway – well, Pansy did, at least.

"Oh, Draco." She breathed. "He loves you, doesn't he?"

"What!" Blaise exclaimed, now staring disbelievingly at Pansy. "How'd you get that out of Potter kissing him?"

"Honestly." Pansy sighed patronizingly. "You've been friends with Draco as long as I have, Blaise, how can you not get it?"

"That's just it, Pansy, there's nothing to get!" Blaise shot back, aggravated.

"Of course not." She smiled sweetly at him. "Well, just try this then. What is one thing that has always been something Draco's never believed in?"

"Muggleborns being allowed into Hogwarts?"

"No, you idiot." Pansy said, disgusted. "More important than _that. _Think. There's one thing Draco's never believed in. What is it?"

"For the love of Merlin, can you all please stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Draco pleaded, sounding highly irritated.

"Love." Theo said suddenly, and all eyes turned to him. "Draco's never believed in love."

There was silence, before Blaise put his head in his hands, muttering as he did so, "…my own boyfriend knows more about Draco than I do…"

"Well done Theo." Pansy said, flashing him a grateful smile. "That's exactly correct. So! My conclusion was, if Draco's never believed in love, then someone expressing same for him would be sufficient to freak him out." Her dark eyes flicked to Blaise. "And that, darling, is how I got Potter being in love with him from a _kiss._"

She glanced at Draco. "Did he kiss you with _care, _and _emotion, _and _longing, _and _love, _Draco darling?"

Draco flushed a dark red. "Shut up, you horrible bitch." He snarled.

"See?" she said triumphantly to the other two.

"Actually, I do." Blaise said thoughtfully. He glanced at the still darkly red Draco, a smirk dancing across his handsome features.

"Potty looooves you." He teased, grinning evilly.

"Potter loves Draco." Cackled Theo.

"Speak of the devil." Blaise said suddenly, and they all swung around to where the Great Hall's door was opening, and where Potter and his friends were entering the Hall.

Draco sucked in a sharp breath. It was…disarming, to say the least, to see him so unexpectedly.

'_And look at how he's avoiding eye contact.'_ He mused, as Potter strode straight towards the Gryffindor table, Weasley and Granger flanking either side of him, eyes determinedly set directly ahead of himself.

Draco watched as they took their seats, and then it happened. Harry had just sat down when he raised his head and his eyes looked up, and straight to where Draco was sitting.

Their eyes met.

It was only for a few moments. Draco stared at those distant green eyes, so far away from him, and felt a flood of…something, shoot through him. Warmth, emotion.

'_What the hell?'_ he asked himself. Potter raised a knowing eyebrow at him, as though…

'_As though he knows what just happened to me.'_

Potter looked away, and Draco looked away too, only to be met with the smug grins of his friends' faces.

"What was that about then?" Theo smirked.

"Potter loves Draco." Blaise sang.

"And it seems Draco loves Potter." Pansy added.

This statement was the thing that finally caused Draco to snap. With a furious snarl, he turned on Pansy, his perfect teeth bared in a manner that strongly resembled a snake about to strike.

"Say that again." He hissed dangerously.

"Draco loves Potter." Pansy repeated, emphasising every single word.

"Yes, I thought that's what you said." Draco said. "I want to make one thing perfectly and completely clear to all of you imbeciles – I do not, and I will never, _love _Harry Potter."

"Gee, I wonder how many times it is now that you've said that?" Pansy mused, exchanging grins with Theo and Blaise. "Considering you blush at the sight of him."

"I do not!" Draco contested hotly.

"Potter, and his dark hair, and beautiful eyes, and tanned body…" Theo cooed.

On cue, a dark flush appeared on Draco's pale cheeks. The others cackled in delight.

"And to think, on Valentine's Day you were telling us you didn't need anybody." Blaise said, shaking his head.

Pansy grinned. "And yet he couldn't even go one day without kissing Potter again."

"That was…it was…those were unusual circumstances!" Draco protested.

Pansy made a noise of frustration. "Merlin, Draco, you big priss, how about you wake up to yourself? You like Potter, Potter likes you, you very obviously have physical chemistry and he's the most powerful and influential person in the whole damn castle, with the exception of Dumbledore."

"She makes a good point." Theo added. "You're perfect for each other, because you're so angry and nasty all the time and he's calm and kind-hearted and all that Gryffindor bullshit, so you'll balance."

"Not to mention, if he merely got you off and it had that strong of an effect on you, imagine what it would be like behind closed doors, with no rush?" Blaise smiled wickedly.

Poor Draco looked wildly confused. "So just what are you implying I do?" he asked. "I can't just…I mean, are you telling me to go up to him before class tomorrow or something and say Hey, Potter, I reckon you and me would be good, so let's get together?"

"No!" Pansy said, disgusted. "Merlin, Draco, no, we're not asking you to sink to the level of a Hufflepuff. Priss that you are, you still have a reputation to uphold."

"But my reputation was the thing he said he didn't like about me." Draco protested.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Yes, but you can still express your feelings without compromising your reputation. He was angry with you because you used it wrong, that's all. You need to think of that ideal of yourself as a tool."

"Yeah, I see where you're going!" Theo said, inspired. "Let him know Slytherin style."

"Which entails…?"

All of their eyes were shining with the unmistakable gleam of Slytherins concocting a plan.

"Heads together." Pansy ordered, which they did at once. She grinned at Draco. "OK, darling, here's what you're going to do…"

_TBC_

**AN: Hahaha! I feel evil leaving it there. Sorry. Lol**

**Well, in case you couldn't guess, this is the second to last chapter. Next chapter you shall see the thrilling conclusion! So, now's your last chance to review before the end. **

**Hmm, kinda short this one, I guess, but it's really just setting things up for the conclusion. Eh.**

**So! Review and let me know what you thought of this chapter.**

**See ya next time!**

**bleedingxheart**


	5. The End

**AN: Thanks to all reviewers. I've had this written for a while actually, but the damn thing wouldn't let me upload it for days. :\ Sorry, and I hope you enjoy the last chapter!**

A Valentine's Day To Remember

**Chapter Five: The End**

_February 16th_

"Draco, darling, are you even listening to me?" Pansy demanded of him from her spot near the front of the room. "It's important you understand exactly what you have to do."

Draco sighed in irritation. Never mind that she had explained the plan five times or so at breakfast, nor that she had now gone through the plan, (using added diagrams), back here in the dorm a good ten or so times.

"Yes, Pansy, I'm listening." He drawled back, re-adjusting himself on the bed so he was a little more upright against the pillows.

She eyed him suspiciously, and then turned back to her diagram. Magically hovering beside her was an outline of several different floors of Hogwarts, marked with lightly fluttering things that resembled silver ribbon. Numerous people were also represented on the diagram. Draco, for instance, was a small silver snake figurine, hovering by itself on the third floor.

"Blaise, wake up!" Pansy snapped, turning back around, hands on her hips and venom in her eyes.

"Hm…what?" Blaise snapped awake, blinking in disorientation. "Sorry, Pansy." He yawned. "I didn't get that much sleep last night."

"I don't care if you got three minutes of sleep, Blaise!" Pansy sniffed. "This is our friends' _future _we are discussing here. Don't you want Draco to be happy, and thoroughly shagged, for the rest of his life?"

"Yes." Blaise muttered sullenly.

"That's what I thought. So shut the hell up already." She snapped, and then turned sharp eyes to the other two. "Any questions at this point?"

"No, because you've been at this point a million times already." Theo pointed out. "We asked the questions we needed to the first time you explained it in the Great Hall."

"Do you want to help Draco or not, Theo?" Pansy demanded. "Because it seems to me you're displaying a rather negative attitude."

"Merlin, Pansy, just get on with it already." Draco said tiredly. He waved a hand. "Go ahead."

"Thank you, darling." Pansy beamed at him. "At least you realise the importance of the situation we're in."

"You mean the situation that Draco's in." Blaise corrected her.

Pansy gave him a Look. "Like it or not, this whole Potter issue is going to affect all of us, Blaise." She said. "Would you rather Draco shut up his bitching about Potter, or continue to whinge to us every day?"

"I'd rather Draco shut up." Blaise said fervently.

"Well that's nice." Draco noted. "Thank you Blaise, for that show of friendship."

"Welcome." Blaise replied cheerfully.

"As I was saying!" Pansy interrupted loudly. "We start the plan with all of us except Draco assembled here." She pointed her wand to where the Great Hall was, and where a delegation of strange animal figures was assembled. "We're at the Slytherin table."

"Shock horror." Theo grinned.

Pansy determinedly continued. "Draco will be waiting on the third floor, near the statue of Lorien. Potter, of course, will be over here." She gestured to the other side of the floating room, where a small golden lion figurine was hovering.

"Now, it will not be very Slytherin of us to carry out the plan referring to him as 'Potter', otherwise people will know who we're talking about. We need a codename."

"A codename?" Theo repeated. "Merlin, Pansy, we're not in some stupid Muggle spy movie."

"A what?" Blaise said, looking confused.

"A spy movie. You know, where guys wear mysterious clothes and decipher clues and sneak around." Theo clarified.

"Sounds interesting." Blaise said thoughtfully.

"A codename," Pansy cut in, speaking loudly, "is essential to the operation. Any ideas?"

They all thought for a moment.

"Rettop?" Theo suggested. "We could be sneaky and use backwards spelling."

"Yes, but then we just sound like idiots if we keep saying the word rettop." Blaise pointed out. "We need something more discreet than that."

"Well luckily for us, I had a back up just in case you imbeciles couldn't think of anything." Pansy said in a self-satisfied way.

"Oh, yeah? Let's hear it then, if you're so intelligent." Theo challenged.

"Lovely lion." Pansy smiled proudly. "L.L for short."

A soft snort came from Blaise, while Theo emitted a snicker. All of a sudden, they were bent double, laughing their heads off.

Draco's cheeks burned. "It's not funny, you bastards."

"Oh, but it is." Blaise choked through his laughter. "Pansy, you're a genius."

"Please, darling, I know." Pansy inspected her nails, smiling. "Nobody can equal my genius."

Theo gave an undignified snort, holding his stomach. "Lovely lion." He choked. "It's perfect!"

"Alright, so all in favour of L.L or lovely lion as a codename?" Pansy asked.

Blaise and Theo raised their hands, still chortling.

"And me makes three." Pansy grinned, raising her own hand. "All opposed?"

Draco's hand shot into the air, completely alone.

"Too bad, darling, we have majority." She smiled at him. "L.L it is!"

Blaise and Theo cheered.

Draco scowled.

"Alright." Pansy jabbed her wand towards the diagram again. "So, at this point, the message arrives."

She flicked her wand and a small owl figurine appeared, floating over towards the lion.

"He receives the message, is intrigued, gets up and leaves." Another flick of the wand had the lion floating past the ribbon representing the Great Hall's wall, and then out into the Entrance Hall. "We wait 30 seconds. And then, Theo, you leave."

Another flick of Pansy's wand caused the figurine of a boar (evidently representing Theo) to leave its position and follow the lion

"And then Blaise," a figurine of a tiger began its journey, "and finally, me." Pansy-the-floating-fox headed for the Entrance Hall. She waved her wand and muttered something, causing the figurines to all freeze in place. She eyed the boys.

"Questions?"

"None." Blaise answered serenely.

"Why am I a boar?" Theo asked.

"Why aren't you a boar is the question you should be asking, Theo." Blaise said immediately.

Pansy rolled her eyes and turned away from the now playfully bickering couple, looking to Draco.

"Questions, darling?"

Draco shook his head. "No."

"Good. Moving on, then. Now, as you can…FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN, YOU TWO, CAN YOU AT LEAST TRY AND CONCENTRATE?" she shrieked.

Needless to say, it was a very long time before she finished going through the entire plan again.

HPDM

Draco closed the door behind him, locked it and then leaned against it, massaging his temples. Pansy had gone through the plan an addition five more times, 'just to make sure it's clear to everyone.' Finally, after the diagram had been run through and explained for the fifth time, there had been break enough in her endless dialogue to allow Draco a toilet break.

He didn't, of course, actually _need _to go to the toilet – in reality he needed to get away from Pansy and her damn diagram for a few minutes. He appreciated her somewhat meticulous attention to detail. He knew she was doing all of it because she cared about him and wanted him to be happy.

But honestly, five more fucking times? The plan was now so firmly imprinted into his head Draco wouldn't have been surprised if he was still able to remember it in eighty years time.

The plan itself was simple. It relied on a single factor – Potter's endless curiosity, which had gotten him into trouble many times before. And, hopefully, would be getting him into trouble again.

Draco moved to the stone basin and switched on the tap. He collected cold water in his cupped hands and lightly splashed his face. Of course, it all depended on perspective, really, whether what Potter was in for tonight was 'trouble' or not. His little Gryffindor buddies would probably think so, but Draco, knowing exactly what he had to do, would've begged to differ. He did feel a little apprehensive about the proceedings. It was a lot to ask of him, but he knew if he was going to do this, it had to be now. Besides, it was _Potter._

He decided as his skin warmed and his heart sped up that he really hated this recent thing of his body's to react when the idea of Potter was presented.

Maybe that would go away after tonight. He could only hope, anyway.

HPDM

Hermione Granger had always been extremely observant for her age. Even before she had received a letter from Hogwarts she had observed things about the world and people around her no one else had. Teachers had remarked on her bright and curious nature, relatives had praised her skills.

And now, those same skills were telling her something was Going To Happen.

She frowned across the Hall, over the tables and crowds of students and plates of food, to where the Slytherins were. Malfoy and his friends seemed to be more huddled together than usual, deep in conversation. Ordinarily Hermione wouldn't have given a shit about what they were up to, but considering recent events with Harry, it was a definite cause for concern.

She watched, noticing the way Pansy seemed to be speaking while the others listened to her. Zabini rolled his dark eyes and muttered something, which caused Pansy to turn on him, speaking furiously.

Hermione tapped her fork absently against her plate. Hmmm.

"Merlin, 'Mione, could you stop that?" Ron pleaded beside her, wincing with every shrill tap of her fork. "That noise isn't half deafening, you know."

"Sorry." She said quickly, setting the fork down, and turned her gaze onto Harry now. He seemed fine enough, steadily eating through his lunch and chatting casually with Neville. She wondered how much of it was a façade, though, because regardless of what he told them, Malfoy having the control of the situation must be unnerving for him.

Maybe that was what Malfoy and his friends were discussing? Hermione looked back over to the Slytherin table. They seemed less huddled, although Pansy was still doing most of the talking. Surely if they were planning anything, Malfoy would be the one heading the discussion, seeing as how it was his situation to deal with?

Hermione dismissed the notion entirely. Whatever Malfoy did now, if he even did anything, there was no way he'd embarrass himself by getting his friends involved. Satisfied with her conclusion, Hermione tuned back into the conversation at the Gryffindor table.

HPDM

Of course, unknown to Hermione, she was in fact woefully incorrect.

"Theo," Pansy was saying, "are you sure you know exactly what you have to say?"

"Yes, Pansy." Theo sang back, rolling his eyes.

"Say it, then." She said. "We have to make sure."

Theo rolled his eyes and recited his lines to Pansy, while Blaise leaned over to talk to Draco.

"I don't know if you ever should've gotten her involved, you know." Blaise murmured, keeping a weary eye on Pansy to ensure he escaped her wrath. "She's taking things a bit too far."

"That's just the way Pansy is." Draco muttered back. "You know it's impossible to keep a secret from her, especially when it's about something important."

"True." Blaise admitted.

"And anyway, it's kind of relieving, having her in charge of this whole thing. I don't know how I'd be handling this situation if I had to do it by myself."

"Of course, darling." Pansy purred with a smile, having finished her interrogation of Theo and jumped into the other two boys' conversation. "You'd be lost without me. But, never fear, Pansy to the rescue to help resolve Dray's little love issues."

"Don't call me Dray." Draco hissed dangerously, but Pansy didn't seem to hear him, instead craning her neck to look across the hall.

"Oh, look, darling!" she said happily, turning back to Draco. "L.L's here. But he's facing away from us, that's no fun, is it?"

Draco scowled at the codename but craned his neck as well, quickly locating the messy head of dark hair halfway up the Gryffindor table. Indeed, Pansy was not lying, Potter really was sitting with his back to the hall. Coincidence, or a deliberate gesture to send a message to Draco?

"A deliberate gesture, darling." Pansy smiled, causing Draco to panic – could the girl seriously read thoughts now?

"No, in case you're wondering, I can't read minds." Pansy tutted, "it's just that what you're thinking is so obvious to figure out, especially when the thinking involves L.L."

Draco scowled once more, feeling deflated that what he always thought was an impossible skill of his was actually transparent enough that Pansy could see through it. Instead of commenting on that, however, he said, "Merlin, Pansy, must you use the codename? The plan isn't even in operation yet."

"Maybe not, darling, but I still find myself growing fond of the name." Pansy said, smirking. "It seems to really suit him, don't you think?"

"Totally." Theo joined in, grinning widely.

"I may even keep calling him that once the plan succeeds." Blaise added, mirth dancing in his dark eyes.

"You are all horrible, awful people." Draco muttered from where he'd placed his head in his hands in despair.

"Of course we are, darling." Pansy smiled. "We're just horrible, awful people who are helping to solve your love problems because you're too stubborn to do it yourself."

"That's not…" Draco protested, but Pansy held up a hand to stop him.

"Hush, darling. No need to thank us, which you will be after tonight."

"If we even see him again after this." Blaise smirked. "Considering all the sex he'll be having."

Draco flushed a dark red, and the others laughed.

"Horrible, awful people, right Draco?" Theo grinned as Draco furiously opened his mouth. "Pansy's right, you'll be thanking us for doing this for you after tonight."

"We'll see." Draco muttered. He craned his neck and caught sight of the headful of messy dark hair, and felt his stomach dip.

"We'll see." He muttered again.

HPDM

The sun had set on the grounds of Hogwarts, plunging the world outside the castle into darkness. Within the castle, torch flames flared and skittered as they lit the hallways for the students on their way to dinner.

It was showtime.

Pansy stood in the boys' dorm room, facing the three boys, who all looked at her with irritated, weary eyes.

"Alright you guys, it's 7:30." She said, her voice smooth and authoritive. "Theo, has the owl been arranged?"

"Yes, Pansy." He replied, sounding bored.

"Will it arrive on time?"

"Yes, Pansy."

"Excellent. We then have about fifteen minutes before the plan takes effect. Let's get going, shall we?"

The boys silently filed after her, out to the staircase leading to the common room.

Draco followed directly after Pansy, thinking hard as they walked. It was, as Pansy had said, a mere fifteen minutes before the plan would start. From there, there was no stopping until the cumulation that was to occur between him and Potter.

In all honesty, he felt like he was going to throw up. He caught up with Pansy and expressed this to her.

She waved a dismissive, perfectly manicured hand at him. "Of course you are, darling. It's called nerves. You know, feeling nervous."

Draco half-heartedly sneered at her. "Malfoys don't get nervous."

"Tut tut, darling." She scolded him as they approached the staircase leading up to the Entrance Hall. "That attitude isn't going to win fair lady's heart, you know."

"I'm not trying to win a fair lady's heart." Draco shot back, irritated. "In case you haven't noticed in the last few days, Pansy, it's Potter I'm trying to win over."

"L.L, darling, we can't use his name in public." Pansy reminded him as they emerged into the Entrance Hall. "Codenames are in force now."

"Fine, fine, L.L." Draco snarled. "And as I was saying, he most certainly is not a fair lady."

"Of course not, but he still doesn't like it when you adopt that haughty, 'holier-than-thou' attitude, does he?" Pansy remarked, and smirked when Draco scowled. She glanced behind her to where Blaise and Theo were.

"All set back there, darlings?" she questioned.

"Just dandy." Blaise smiled sarcastically back.

"Alright!" Pansy said cheerfully as they arrived outside the Great Hall's doors. "Plan is now officially in motion. Draco, you know where to go. L.L should probably be within the vicinity at 8:00pm, give or take a few minutes."

"I know, Pansy." Draco snapped.

She smiled innocently at him. "Good luck, darling!" she waved him off.

Still scowling, Draco set off. Pansy turned to Blaise and Theo.

"Well, let's get Draco's love life started, shall we boys?" she said, and laughed when they rolled their eyes at her.

HPDM

The room echoed with the clink and scrapes of forks and knives against plates, and the deafening chatter of students. Pansy took a casual sip from her goblet of pumpkin juice, checking the time on the priceless, pure silver watch she wore on her left wrist. They'd gotten to dinner without any trouble, and were now awaiting the moment when the plan would truly begin.

"One minute." Pansy murmured quietly. Blaise and Theo nodded carefully, still eating as though nothing was going on.

"10 seconds." Pansy murmured soon after, and then began to count down the seconds.

Blaise and Theo gave up their pretence of conversation now, waiting tensely.

"1…showtime!" Pansy finished.

On cue, an owl swooped into the Hall, gliding silently but steadily towards the Gryffindor table.

HPDM

Harry took a sip from his pumpkin juice, listening to the conversation around him. Dean, Neville, Seamus and Ron were all having a heated discussion about Quidditch. Hermione was talking to Ginny and Anthony about something or other.

Harry set down the goblet, frowning slightly. Since the confrontation the night before he'd felt slightly on edge. He was, however, pleased at how things had been left. That didn't mean though that he could relax, as now that the situation was in Malfoy's hands, Harry had no idea if anything would even come of it, knowing Malfoy.

He glanced around the Hall and spotted a handsome eagle owl gliding smoothly through the air. He barely had time to wonder what on earth an owl was doing in the Hall at dinnertime when it arrived neatly right in front of him. His friends' conversations came to a halt as they too looked at the owl, clearly wondering the same thing.

The owl held out its leg in a dignified manner. An envelope was attached to the scaly leg, which Harry promptly untied. As soon as that was free the owl flapped its wings and took off with a soft whoosh, gliding silently away.

Harry stared at the envelope. His friends stared at the envelope as well.

"Um, Harry…why did that owl just give you an envelope?" Ron questioned.

"Don't know." Harry said, mystified.

"Well open it up, Harry." Hermione encouraged. "Don't just sit there staring at it."

This made sense, so Harry opened the envelope and pulled out the parchment inside. He unfolded it, and read it.

_Potter,_

_Meet me near the statue of Lorien on the third floor. Tell no one. Come alone._

There was nothing else written on the parchment.

"What's it say, Harry?"

"Uh…it's from Dumbledore." Harry lied quickly on the spot, refolding the parchment and storing it safely into a pocket of his robes. "He needs to see me."

"Dumbledore?" Hermione repeated, clearly bewildered. Her eyes suddenly sharpened and narrowed at him.

"Yep." He said, pushing away his plate and standing.

"What about?" Ron asked.

"No idea. It must be important though, if he's owling me in the middle of dinner." Harry babbled, now clear of the table. "I'll see you guys later."

"Alright, mate." Ron said doubtfully, but waved goodbye nonetheless. The others followed suit. Harry waved in return, carefully avoiding the suspicious gaze of Hermione.

He hurried out of the Hall, but not before he noticed for the first time the conspicuous absence of a certain blonde.

HPDM

The moment Potter had left the Hall, Pansy had begun timing.

"2…1…go, Theo!" she hissed.

Theo got to his feet at once, and without pre-amble headed for the doors leading to the Entrance Hall.

Pansy counted down the 30 seconds, and then sent Blaise off after Theo.

She followed 30 seconds after that.

The plan was in motion.

HPDM

Harry emerged onto the first floor corridor, and set off down it, past the fading paintings and antiquities. He was analysing the note he had received in his head – handwriting, ink colour, etc – so much so, in fact, that he didn't notice the person waiting for him further along the corridor.

"Hey, Potter!"

Harry jumped, startled. He looked ahead to see a rather stringy-looking boy he recognized as Theodore Nott, a Slytherin and a frequent regular near Draco's seat at mealtimes.

"What?" Harry questioned, somewhat impatiently.

"So do you love Draco or what?" Theo asked casually, leaning against the wall and smirking at Harry.

Harry gaped at him. "Do I…what? What are you talking about?"

"Do you love him, Potter?" Theo repeated.

"I don't…who…" Poor Harry spluttered.

"I'll take that as a yes. On your way then, Potter." Theo grinned. "He's waiting."

Harry stared wildly at the Slytherin and then hurried away, thoroughly confused.

Theo grinned to himself. His part had been successful.

HPDM

Harry pulled aside a particularly old and dusty tapestry and began climbing the staircase hidden behind it, thinking frantically. What the hell was going on here? Why had one of Malfoy's little cronies been poised on the first floor, practically…well, _waiting _for him?

He emerged onto the second floor only to be met by the handsome, dark-skinned form of Blaise Zabini.

"What the hell!" Harry shouted, venting his frustration.

"What is it about Draco's reputation, Potter, that makes you so angry at him?" Blaise asked.

"I'm not going to freaking answer! I barely even know you!" Harry shot back.

"Is it that he hides who he truly is?" Blaise called after Harry's rapidly retreating back. This caused Harry to freeze, and turn back around slowly.

"Is it because he won't let himself see what could happen between you two?" Blaise continued, smirking at the dumbfounded expression on Harry's face.

Harry stared at him, and then whipped back around, hurrying further down the corridor.

Blaise smirked in pleasure. He'd done what he was meant to do.

HPDM

'_They've lost it. All the Slytherins have gone insane.' _Harry thought resignedly, heading for the staircase that would take him to the third floor. _'It's a conspiracy.'_

This thought was further proven by the presence of one Pansy Parkinson, who was standing in front of the staircase and serenely inspecting her fingernails. She looked up with a smile.

"Hello, Potter." She purred.

"Not another one." Was all Harry could say.

"Yes, Potter, another one." She smiled. "I'm guessing you're confused?"

"YES!" Harry shouted back.

"Of course. All your answers lie up these stairs, darling." She smiled at him, and stepped aside. "And by the way, congratulations in advance."

He eyed her with wild eyes and took the staircase two steps at a time, up and out of sight.

Pansy smiled. They'd set him up – now it was up to Draco to finish it off.

HPDM

Harry bolted up the last few steps and emerged into the third floor corridor. Confused, shaken and thoroughly irritated, he stalked over the faded rugs of the floor, heading for the statue of Lorien.

To his frustration, upon arrival at said statue, there was no-one to be found.

"Dammit, Malfoy!" he snarled, giving the heavy stone base of the statue a kick. As often happens though, this didn't solve anything, and resulted in a sharp pain in his foot. He hopped up and down on one leg, cursing angrily.

At that moment, he felt someone grab his shoulders from behind. He was spun around and then pushed up against a blank stretch of wall next to the statue. Next second, a body was pressed against his and a mouth met his own. Harry didn't even need to check – there was no doubt as to who it was.

He allowed Malfoy to kiss him for a few moments and then, ignoring all inner protestations to just keep going, put his hands to Malfoy's chest and pushed.

Draco stumbled slightly, but regained his balance almost straight away. "Hello, Potter." He smiled, straightening his robes.

Harry absently wiped his mouth, stepping away from the wall. "Malfoy. You sent the note?"

"Yes." Draco said, eyes glittering as he looked at Harry.

"I remember it asked me to come alone, so what the bloody hell were your friends doing, waiting for me to pass and then ambushing me with personal questions?" Harry said, looking extremely pissed off.

Draco inhaled. Merlin, Potter was attractive when he was angry. "All part of the plan." He said smoothly.

"The plan?" Harry was persistent. "What plan?"

"The plan to get you up here with me, of course." Draco smiled.

"Wait, you devised a plan?" Harry sounded curious now.

"Well, Pansy did." Draco admitted. "She came up with a simple plan to get you up here, and to make sure you were thinking along the right channels. She even," and here Draco snorted derisively, "came up with a codename to use in place of your name."

"Really? What was it?"

Draco sighed, rolling his eyes upwards to the ceiling. Damn Pansy. "Lovely lion." He answered. "L.L for short."

"Lovely lion?!" Harry repeated, sounding disturbed and incredulous. "Merlin, what kind of a name is that?"

"I don't know. Ask Pansy." Draco shrugged.

_Mission objective, remember, Draco. Stick to the plan. _He reminded himself

"You know, before Valentine's Day, I'd been on an abstinence period of about a year." Draco said suddenly, conversationally, as though they were discussing the weather.

Harry's eyes widened, incredulity increasing as he stared at Draco. "A year?" he repeated, sounding shocked.

"Yeah." Draco chuckled, almost to himself. "There were quite a few people – boys and girls – who tried to snap me out of it."

Harry snorted. Draco raised an eyebrow at him.

"I always turned them down though, because my life was just too busy for that." Draco paused, wrestling with himself. _Say it. Just say it. _"But there was a main reason why I managed to maintain it for so long."

"And what was that?" Harry asked.

"You." Draco stated simply. Harry gaped at him.

"Me? But…why?" Harry asked desperately.

"I was so damn focused on hating you, seeking revenge against you for my father, all the rest of it, that it became quite easy to forget about my other needs."

A spark of amusement appeared in Harry's brilliant green eyes. "So you were obsessed with me."

"I didn't realise at the time, but yes, I guess you could say I was." Draco said.

"Interesting." Harry grinned despite himself.

"Anyway, Valentine's Day changed all that." Draco continued on. "I don't know what it was that compelled me to kiss you…but it was the most affecting kiss I've ever had in my life."

Harry nodded vehemently at this in agreement.

"I tried so hard to maintain to my friends and to myself that I didn't need anybody. And then after the second confrontation…" Draco took another step closer to Harry, eyes glinting strangely, "…I realised something."

"And what was that?" Harry breathed. They were standing awfully close now.

"I realised that I care entirely too much about you, and what you're doing, and what you're thinking, and how much I want to push you against the nearest wall and have my way with you." Draco murmured, his voice nearly a purr. A shudder went through Harry. "I realised that's not really a healthy way to be about my arch-rival."

"So what do you suggest we be instead?" Harry asked softly.

"I think you know the answer to that, Potter." Draco smiled, moving closer yet again.

"Malfoy…" Harry was up against the wall once more. "Why did you do all this? Get all your friends into the act, organise everything, just to bring me up here?"

"Because." Draco shrugged carelessly. He reached out and traced around Harry's lips, causing him to shiver. "I know last night you told me you hated it when I let my reputation get in the way. This is my own way of showing you I can get a balance between having that reputation…" he leaned down and lightly kissed Harry's neck before straightening again, "…and being with you."

Harry stared at him for a good 10 seconds, and then blinked.

"Whoa, hold up, back up for a minute." He said, holding his hands up imploringly. "Are you saying what I think you are?"

"What do you think I'm saying?" Draco shot back, smiling in a very predatory way.

"That you…you…you know. Love me."

Draco exhaled slowly. And there it was. If he didn't respond correctly in this situation, he knew, Pansy would have his head. He couldn't say the exact words…but he had to say something.

"Ehm…yes. I am."

"So romantic." Harry smiled.

"Shut up." Draco snapped, fighting a smile of his own.

"So…the great Draco Malfoy loves me." Harry said speculatively. "I never thought this would happen."

"You know, of course, that it never would have happened if we hadn't bumped into each other on Valentine's Day?" Draco questioned.

"Probably." Harry smirked deviously. "It might have, though." He reached out and ran a hand over the sharp, pale angles of Draco's collarbone, causing the latter to shiver. "I think you would've realised eventually you couldn't live without a lovely lion in your life."

"Don't call yourself…" Draco began to protest, but he was interrupted when Harry swooped, attacking the pale throat with his mouth. Draco moaned desperately as Harry straightened back up, a teasing eyebrow raised in question.

"You going to kiss me now, or what?"

Draco didn't need telling twice. He moved closer and kissed the brunette. Hands found their way to waists and into hair, and both boys sighed with inner relief. Yes, this felt right. This was what they were meant to be doing.

Harry reflected distantly, even as Draco's hands slid inside his shirt and ghosted over his stomach, that maybe next year when Valentine's Day rolled around, he might be able to look upon it more favourably.

Draco's hands moved to his pants, and Harry's breath hitched.

Maybe.

Until then, though…

_Fin_

**AN: Holy crap, that's a freaking long chapter. o.0**

**Well! So ends my crazy, silly little Valentine's fic. Hope you've enjoyed it, coz I know I had a lot of fun writing it. Please review and let me know what you thought.**

**See you round!**

**bleedingxheart**


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